"I heard Tanjiro's team are currently hunting down a Lower Moon."
Muichiro said dryly as he weaved through trees.
"Hah! I didn't expect Muzan to replace them so soon." Sanemi who was beside him, snickered.
"It's their business, not mine."
Muichiro stated.
Finally, they arrived at the fight scene.
Tanjiro, Inouske, Zenitsu and Nezuko were busy fighting Jorogumo. The Lower Moon Two.
"Hoor! Fight me instead!"
Inouske shouted through his boar headed mask as he swung his chipped swords at the demon's lower body.
Snarling, Jorogumo raised two of her arachnid legs to block his attack while she continued to remain wary of Tanjiro. His flames were troublesome to deal with.
"Arrrggghhh!" Tanjiro growled, slicing through her threads with great difficulty. Although she was just a lower Moon like Rui, she was definitely stronger. Her chitinous legs were sharper and harder than their nichirin blades. Also, her threads were poisonous, giving them a hard time.
"Human pests dares to think they can kill me?" Jorogumo snarled, her beady green eyes overflowing with scorn.
Nezuko leaped into the air, then slammed her heel into the side of the demon's mouth.
Jorogumo recoiled as the pink flames burned her skin, forcing her to abandon a precise stab at Inouske's chest.
"Zenitsu! Do something!"
Tanjiro called as he weaved through the webs, trying to get closer to the demon.
"I-i-i-i'm scared!!!"
Zenitsu yelped, shivering beside a tree.
"Fuck off! I alone can kill this Jokokomo!" Inouske bellowed, ducked under a net of webs, then sliced her arm off.
"Idiot! My name is Jorogumo!" Jorogumo argued, heavily displeased with the situation.
She, a queen among demons, was being suppressed by two demon slayers working with a strange demon. She couldn't believe she had to use her blood demon art.
"Blood Demon Arts—Poisoned cocoon."
From her back, a thick sphere of interwoven threads burst out and covered the whole battlefield, plunging Tanjiro's squad into darkness while Jorogumo disappeared into the walls of the cocoon. Her eerie laughter rang out a moment later though.
"Hahahaha! You are welcome to my domain. Now you're all food waiting to be eaten!"
Seeing the situation, Sanemi decided to intervene. However, Muichiro held him back.
"They're not out of options yet."
Although Sanemi was confused, he didn't argue and stayed put.
Before long, sparks of lightning crawled across the web cocoon while flames erupted on some parts.
"Eeeeeeeeaaaaaaahhhhh!" Jorogumo's screams filled the air as she hurriedly dismissed her blood demon art. Her charred figure collapsed to the ground while Tanjiro, Inouske, and Zenitsu appeared bloodied but alive. Nezuko had regressed to her child form, resting into the wooden basket, peacefully.
"They're poisoned." Muichiro noted.
"Well, we can't watch them die right?" Sanemi smirked.
After all, Jorogumo was already healing and ready to attack the injured slayers.
Before Muichiro could reply, Sanemi vanished. And so did Jorogumo's head. Her body crumpled to the ground, hands outstretched to attack, then disintegrated rapidly.
"Oi, scar punk! How dare you steal Lord Inouske's kill!"
Inouske bellowed through his bloodied mask, then charged at Sanemi. Before he could reach the Hashira though, he fell to the ground and went unconscious.
"How do we get the poison out of their system?" Sanemi asked, realizing why the boar headed boy suddenly went unconscious.
Muichiro simply shrugged. "Not Muichiro's work. It's Shinobu's."
At the mention of her name, a stiff silence enveloped the group. Tanjiro's face darkened with sadness while Sanemi's eyes blazed with quiet anger.
'Shinobu-chan. She...' Tanjiro gulped, feeling sad. After all, he was told that she had been hypnotized by a demon and had become its servant.
'I'll kill that demon.' He swore silently.
"Well, Oyakata-sama's mansion it is." Muichiro added without changing his expression.
....
"What kind of power was that?" Shinobu, staring at Douma with a deep gaze. Illusion abilities definitely wasn't part of his arsenal before he changed. And most horrifying, the illusions felt so real. Every cut stung, every step seemed tangible, every slash was felt—yet, it was all an illusion.
"Hmm? I'm curious too." Douma grinned. "But I know it's a new addition to my Blood Demon Art."
Shinobu gulped, realizing Douma had grown even more terrifying. This was only one ability. What about his physical abilities? It'd be monstrous.
"Eh? Shinobu-chan? Are you scared?" Douma's voice sounded concerned.
Shinobu shook her head softly. "I'm just... amazed. You've truly grown more powerful."
At this point, she silently wondered. Could he beat Muzan in a fight?
The question, although lingering in her mind, she didn't ask. Instead, she chose to address something else.
"And how are you going to train me to become stronger?"
Douma maintained his smile, though his eyes crinkled in amusement.
"How about becoming a demon?"
Shinobu's sword dug into his heart instantly. Her face was dead serious as she spoke.
"Don't even entertain such thoughts."
Douma only laughed, ignoring the poison that spread through his body. "Eeeh, I was only joking."
Shinobu exhaled in exasperation, then pulled out her sword. Surprisingly, the sword was clean when she pulled out. It was almost as if Douma had no blood. Putting such mystery at the back of her mind, she turned away.
"Be serious. You said you'd help me."
Douma's smile faded slightly. "It is extremely hard for humans to grow in strength. Especially those without the potential for raw strength."
His smile reappeared.
"Though I realized there's a specific energy that could be harnessed in the air. I only realized this after my transformation, and thus, I'm curious if humans can use such energy too."
Shinobu turned, surprised. A new energy? Something that could be used by both humans and demons. That was... almost impossible.
"What exactly is this energy?"
She asked.
"I call it... Hamon."
Raising his hands, golden light shimmered into existence above his palms, flowing with otherworldly beauty.
Shinobu stared, mesmerized. That beautiful, soft energy seemed delicate. Too delicate even. Still, its use eluded her.
As if sensing her confusion, Douma explained. "It's this same energy that enhanced your sword. While not naturally violent, it posseses the ability to reinforce anything."
He gently extended his hands. The golden energy flowed down his fingers like water and circled around Shinobu before entering her swiftly.