While Yoruichi Shihouin was teasing Rukia, Yoriichi had already entered Hueco Mundo.
Hueco Mundo, according to some seniors, was a boundless silver desert.
Eternal night, desolation, with a silver moon hanging high.
However, after passing through the Black Cavity, what met Yoriichi's eyes was not the scene described above.
…
Thump…
Under his feet was soft earth, with weeds growing rampant at the edges.
A fishy wind, reeking of a foul odour, blew directly at him, causing Yoriichi to furrow his brows.
His robes flapped, and his hand instinctively went to his Zanpakuto clanking.
His wary eyes swept around: vast fields, cold moonlight, silent forests, and spiderwebs everywhere…
With just one glance, Yoriichi immediately understood his current situation.
"I… I'm back again?"
…
At the same time, in the forest on the mountain, a Demon Slayer Corps squad was cautiously advancing deeper into the woods.
Some gripped their nichirin blades tightly, their breathing ragged.
The sweat on their palms made their stances slightly awkward, yet the warm sensation from their hands gave them immense confidence.
It was as if, before their meticulously forged Nichirin blades, no Demon could escape death.
Of course, they knew these were just random thoughts born of their nervousness.
At the end of the line, Murata, with his black clothes and black hair, his eyes trembled slightly.
He surveyed the deep darkness around him, listening to the silent forest…
Due to the oppressive environment, his adrenaline was subtly kicking in.
His chest heaved violently.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Suppressing his breath, he lowered his gaze and clutched his chest.
His steps slowed slightly.
Just then, a gentle breeze blew…
Whoosh…
The white mist he exhaled, in the dim moonlight, in Murata's half-closed eyes, and its fleeting dissipation, almost formed fragmented snapshots.
Scenes from earlier that evening rapidly replayed before his eyes.
"Mt. Natagumo is suspected of having Demon activity!"
"Swordsmen of Kino rank and above, assemble immediately!"
"Ten people have gone missing so far!"
"Proceed with extreme caution!"
"If you are outmatched, retreat immediately!"
"Reinforcements will arrive shortly!"
In his ears were the endless admonitions from the trainers.
Before, he found them nagging, but in this claustrophobic forest, they felt especially comforting.
"I say…" Murata broke free from his memories, lowering his voice and looking at a Demon Slayer behind him, his brow twitching slightly: "Do we need to go deeper?"
"Isn't this far enough already…?"
"We haven't encountered a single Demon on the way… Is it just a rumour?"
"It's so scary here, don't you guys think so?"
Hearing his voice, a few people scrutinised him.
His black eyes were somewhat subdued.
His ordinary face belonged to a passerby.
The metallic clinking from his trembling hands was a bit grating.
A young man smiled, his tone confident and calm: "What's there to be afraid of? The more dangerous, the better; if it's not dangerous, how will I earn money?"
"Slaying twenty Demons allows you to go to headquarters and learn the legendary original breathing technique, Sun Breathing!"
"Even if you can't learn it, or don't want to, you can sell this opportunity to others."
"That's a whole thousand yen!"
"My five years of salary aren't even that much!"
"This opportunity is rare."
"Such a good job, others beg for it and can't get it, yet here you are, retreating? Is that right?"
"If you're scared, just hide behind me. I'll protect you, and of course, any Demons you should have slain will also be mine."
"Do you have any objections?"
"No, none at all." Murata shook his head repeatedly, like an ostrich, instinctively hiding behind the young man without thinking.
He didn't care about how much money there was.
He just felt that this place was dangerous.
A thousand yen, you might earn it, but you also need to be alive to spend it.
—He was extremely timid.
Just as Murata retreated and the young man stepped forward, his face beaming with excitement, a slender silver thread slowly extended from a nearby treetop.
It connected two ancient trees.
In the centre of the silver thread, about thirty meters above the ground, an eyeball-like creature with tentacles, resembling a spider, stood quietly, overlooking everything below.
On the eyeball, two powerful characters were carved: [—Lower Five!]
As one of Kibutsuji Muzan's Twelve Demon Moons, even the lowest-ranking Lower Moon was a deadly existence for ordinary Demon Slayers.
A single Demon could often slaughter hundreds of swordsmen and still have power to spare.
The Spider Demon, Lower Rank Five, Rui, was no exception.
However, tonight… no, since its birth, Rui had no interest in attacking proactively.
It was both the leader and the youngest of Mt. Natagumo.
Rui enjoyed role-playing; in terms of bloodline, it was superior to all other Spider Demons.
But in terms of identity, it liked to place itself in the lowest position, thereby enjoying the warm feeling that "family" brought it.
Therefore, even when it saw a group of enemies, its only thought was to let "Father" and "Mother" deal with them.
Their strength was second only to its own.
To whom should it assign the task?
Hmm…
Rui observed for a moment.
There were many people…
It decided!
"Mother, go kill them."
"Don't leave a single one alive."
Deep in the mountains, inside a temple, Rui, who controlled the spiders, said this to the Spider Mother, who was seated in the secondary position.
Its tone was like a dead lake, without a ripple.
Its eyes were like a desolate white moon, surrounded by a bloody sclera, and crimson spots were etched onto its cheeks, giving it a hint of bloodlust.
Although the Demon's aura soared to the heavens, if one closed their eyes and covered its heterochromatic pupils, based on its small body, no one would believe it was a Demon, but rather a child who liked to be unconventional.
Upon hearing this, the Spider Mother's body trembled violently.
Her hands involuntarily clasped together.
A hint of panic and surprise appeared on her face, which resembled Rui's.
It was unclear whether she was afraid of Rui or afraid of this mission.
"What?" Rui asked, "You refuse?"
Its eyes slowly turned, and the emanating aura caused a ripple in the air.
It stared at the Spider Mother, enunciating each word: "Don't forget your place, Mother."
"Disobedient family members need to be punished."
"Do you want to be burned by the sun?"
"They are just a few Demon Slayers."
Demon Slayers?
You say it so lightly!
The Spider Mother had a myriad of complaints in her heart.
She recalled the rumours from recent days.
The words reached her lips, but she hesitated inexplicably: "Rui, what if there's a swordsman among them who has mastered Sun Breathing?"
"We heard that that person encountered a young man using Sun Breathing in Asakusa."
"The two Demons sent by that person, who were on par with the Lower Moons, were easily slain by him, almost one hit per Demon, and we…"
"What's there to be afraid of?" Rui interrupted, "Isn't it a mother's duty to die protecting me?"
"Or are you trying to desert?"
As these words were uttered, the air suddenly solidified.
The bloodline pressure from the Upper Rank Demon made it difficult for the Spider Mother to breathe.
She felt an invisible hand crushing her.
Her pale flesh cracked inch by inch, and dark red blood slowly oozed out.
Pain covered her entire body.
Finally, she reluctantly agreed: "I'll go!"
"Rui! Spare my life!"