Around nine in the morning... after finishing breakfast and saying farewell to the Fuji family's grandmother, the group set out once again. Passing through a small forest in front of the Fuji residence, they finally emerged onto the open path between wide fields. In the distance, the towering, shadowy form of Mount Natagumo loomed—though still quite far away. At their walking pace, they would likely reach the foot of the mountain by dusk.
Tap tap ×3
Tanjiro and the other two boys jogged along rather comically... though they were running, their speed barely matched hers at a regular walking pace. It was unclear what exactly they were racing for.
Walking at the rear of the group, she sighed lightly, watching the three fools before her. The constant sound of their feet hitting the dirt echoed in her ears.
"Are you in a hurry?"
She asked flatly, sounding unimpressed.
"Ah? No, not really," Tanjiro replied, glancing back.
"If not, then perhaps you could be quiet for a while. Don't waste your strength like that, hmm?"
Her tone carried a hint of exasperation. She fanned away the dust their running had kicked up—it was flying right into her face. If she had known this would happen, she would never have agreed to walk with them.
"Oh... sorry!"
Hearing her words, Tanjiro quickly slowed down, turning his jog into a walk. Zenitsu, following behind, also stopped reluctantly.
Tap tap!!
However, the boar-headed one clearly had no intention of slowing. Inosuke trotted right up beside her, his boar mask staring at her intently through its hollow eyes, silent.
"...Why do you always wear that mask?"
Since he wouldn't speak, she decided to start the conversation herself.
"Ah? Because it looks cool... problem?" he retorted with a challenging tone.
...Cool? A wild boar is cool? What sort of logic was that?
"I didn't say it was a problem... just strange, that's all," she replied calmly—though her true thoughts remained unspoken.
"Then I'll ask you! Why are you dressed so weirdly?" Inosuke shot back, looking her up and down.
"...Weirdly? In what way?" she asked, genuinely puzzled.
"Why's everything on you purple?! Your hair, your eyes, your clothes—did you fall into a paint bucket or something?"
At that, she instinctively lowered her gaze to her outfit—the gentian-patterned kimono, the formal robes of the Raiden Shogun. Then she shook her head indifferently.
"...You want to know why?" she asked, raising a brow teasingly.
"Yeah!" Inosuke answered immediately.
"...Because it looks good. Problem?" she replied, perfectly mimicking his earlier tone.
"You—! Why are you copying me?!" Inosuke shouted, pointing at her.
"I'm simply stating a fact. Just like you did. Or do you wish to deny your own words?" she said, a trace of amusement in her voice.
"Uh... well... when you put it that way, I guess not! Hahaha!" he scratched his head awkwardly, successfully talked in a circle.
Pfft... She couldn't help but smile inwardly. Silly boy—you're still too green to spar with me in words.
"Anyway!" Inosuke suddenly exclaimed, turning toward her again. Why did he keep bothering her so much?
The Shogun was mildly confused.
"That old granny just now—what did she mean by 'upright and honorable' and 'smooth sailing'? What kind of weird stuff was that?" he asked, sounding genuinely clueless.
"In simple terms you can understand—'upright and honorable' means fighting without sneak attacks, respecting martial virtue, and not using tricks behind people's backs. 'Smooth sailing' means winning a battle without breaking a sweat. Understand now?" she explained, giving an example suitable for his level of comprehension.
"Ohhh~! Got it!" Inosuke exclaimed in sudden enlightenment.
Pfft... Tanjiro, walking ahead, couldn't help laughing.
He really doesn't understand anything, does he? Zenitsu thought, sighing internally.
"But why'd that old lady say all that to us? She doesn't even know us... what's her deal?! She's gotta be hiding something!" Inosuke said again, frowning.
"...Why don't you ask the magic conch?" she said dryly, eyes narrowing with playful sarcasm.
"The... magic conch? What's that? Where is it?!" Inosuke froze for a second, then began looking around the ground frantically.
"It's on Tanjiro," she said, deadpan.
"Eh?!" Tanjiro blinked, utterly lost.
She glanced at the snickering boy ahead, then mischievously decided to toss the big fool beside her into his hands without hesitation.
"Tanjiro! Give me the magic conch!"
"Eh?! Wait—!!"
And just like that, she successfully passed the troublesome boar-headed boy onto Tanjiro. Her mood instantly felt much lighter.
[Hehe...]
'What are you laughing at?' she asked Ei irritably in her mind.
[I just think you fit right in with those kids.]
'I'm not that bored,' she countered.
[You used to play with Ayaka all the time, didn't you? Especially in the water.]
'T-that's different,' she said, her cheeks reddening slightly.
[Hmm… I see. Because it was Ayaka, right?]
'Ahem... so what if it was?' she coughed awkwardly, as if admitting defeat.
[Nothing, really. I like her too. She's a good girl.] Ei said casually. She truly trusted Kamisato Ayaka—when she herself couldn't be around, she knew that Ayaka could take care of her daughter.
Several hours later… when they finally reached the base of Mount Natagumo, night had already fallen. The once-bright farmlands were now swallowed by darkness. A cold wind blew through the flowers and grass, producing ghostly howls that echoed eerily across the fields.
"Wait! Hold on, you guys…"
The next second, Zenitsu frantically called out, crouching down on the ground with his knees hugged tightly, refusing to move.
"Zenitsu?" Tanjiro asked in confusion.
"You're such a hassle," Inosuke grumbled, turning back to glare at him.
"Like you're one to talk, you dumb boar! You've got no right to call me that!" Zenitsu snapped back furiously.
"I think you're both troublesome," the Shogun interjected dryly.
"Uh!" ×2
"Woman, what did you just say?!" both of them shouted in unison, clearly offended.
"Stop yelling! Look… can't you feel anything from that mountain ahead?!" Zenitsu said, pointing toward Mount Natagumo with trembling fingers.
"?" ×3
The three of them, including the Shogun, turned to look. The mountain before them loomed like a ferocious beast crouching in the dark—its shadow waiting to devour anyone who dared to approach. The fog that clung to its slopes carried a faint, chilling aura of demons.
"What? It's just dark! You're such a pain!" Inosuke scoffed dismissively.
"I'm perfectly normal! You guys are the weird ones! How can you stand there like nothing's wrong?!" Zenitsu screamed.
"Of course it's not normal. What normal person goes around hunting demons?" the Shogun asked, sounding genuinely perplexed.
"..." ×3
That silenced all three boys instantly.
"Uh… when you put it that way, it kinda makes sense—wait, no! That's not the point!!" Zenitsu flailed his arms wildly.
"If you make any more noise," the Shogun said coolly, raising her hand as purple lightning flickered between her fingers, "I don't mind letting you experience electrotherapy again."
"Eek!! Mmph~!"
Zenitsu instantly clapped his hands over his mouth, shaking his head furiously as if to say, Please, no!
"Phew…"
Seeing him finally quiet down, she exhaled softly. Honestly, these idiots never stay calm for even a moment—hmm?
Something caught her eye. In the darkness ahead, near the base of the mountain, a figure was stumbling out from the forest. The person wore the uniform of the Demon Slayer Corps, a Nichirin Blade clutched weakly in one hand. His movements were sluggish and unstable—clearly injured.
Crackle!
In a flash of violet light, she vanished and reappeared beside him, catching his body just as he began to fall.
Thud…
"Ah…"
The slayer's face was pale as death, his strength completely gone. Supported by her arm, he slowly collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
"Miss Raiden!!"
Seeing her sudden movement, Tanjiro ran forward in alarm.
"Hey! Don't just rush off like that!" Inosuke shouted, his tone more like 'How dare you move before me?!' as he chased after her.
"Wait for me!"
The two boys had hesitated for a moment, only realizing what happened several seconds after witnessing the Shogun's lightning-fast flash step. Even Zenitsu, despite his fear, instinctively followed them.
"Hel… help me…"
The Demon Slayer lying on the ground weakly pleaded, his face twisted with terror as if he had seen something unspeakably horrifying. His skin was pale, his breath faint—he looked ready to collapse at any second.
"What happened?"
She crouched down beside him, her tone calm but firm.
"Spiders… webs… they… all died… killed each other… cough!"
Hissss~
"?"
The next instant, she heard a faint, unnatural sound—like something thin and taut slicing through the air.
Snap!
Just as the sound reached her ears, the wounded Demon Slayer was suddenly lifted into the air by an invisible force and yanked violently backward toward the forest!
"Uwaaaah!! Help me!!"
The boy flailed helplessly, his sword slipping from his grasp and clattering to the ground with a dull metallic thud.
"!"
The Shogun reacted instantly—activating one of her Magatsu Mitake Narukami no Mikoto puppet arms. A rift of violet energy opened in the air, and a massive, spectral arm reached out, grabbing the boy's body midair in an attempt to pull him back.
But then—
Crack!
"Gyaaaaa!!!"
A sharp, snapping sound echoed as if something had been stretched to its limit. The boy screamed in agony, his back suddenly stained crimson.
Could it be…?
She immediately understood. Without hesitation, she softened her grip to stop pulling, and summoned another puppet arm—this one wielding Musou Isshin. From another rift in space, it swung precisely at the faint glints of silver light trailing behind the boy's back.
Slash!Snap!
The glowing threads were cleanly severed, and the boy dropped, falling safely into her waiting hands. Thankfully, she'd reacted quickly—had she kept pulling, the wounds would have torn much deeper.
She laid him gently on the ground and examined his back. As expected, several broken silver-white threads were still embedded in his flesh.
[Those are… spider threads?] Ei's voice sounded in her mind.
'Yes… no wonder it's called Spider Mountain.'
[Are there actually spiders here?]
'Most likely a demon that uses threads to control others.'
[I don't like this… it feels unsettling.]
'It's fine… I'm here,' she replied calmly.
[…Alright. Just be careful.]
"Are there others still in the mountain?" she asked the wounded slayer.
"Y-yes… my comrades… but by now, they're probably…"
He trailed off weakly. She understood what he couldn't bring himself to say.
"You saw the demon's true form?" she asked again.
"No… only the webs… it… controls us…" he rasped.
"Stay here and watch over him," she ordered decisively, turning her gaze toward the trembling Zenitsu. Since he was terrified anyway, he could remain behind to guard the injured boy. The others would enter the mountain.
"Eh? Ah…" Zenitsu nodded blankly, dazed and confused but obedient under her command.
"Tanjiro, Boar—come with me."
With that, she vanished again in a flash of lightning, diving straight into the pitch-dark forest that loomed like a demon's maw—the depths of Mount Natagumo.
"Yes, ma'am!" Tanjiro called, unsheathing his Nichirin Blade as he sprinted after her.
"Tch… don't order me around! And my name's Inosuke, not 'Boar!'" he barked, but still followed obediently.
...
In the dim forest, a soft, ethereal violet glow began to form, coalescing into a slender figure. The Shogun appeared amidst the shimmer, Engulfing Lightning materializing in her grasp.
Tap, tap…
Moments later, Tanjiro and Inosuke arrived, panting as they caught up to her side.
"What's that sword of yours?" Inosuke asked curiously, seeing her weapon for the first time.
"The mountain's interior is vast—it'll be difficult to find people together. We'll split up. Tanjiro, take the boar and search the left side."
Ignoring Inosuke's earlier question, she gave her orders plainly before turning toward the right side of the forest.
"My name's not 'Boar!'" Inosuke shouted energetically, as always.
"Alright, let's go, Inosuke," Tanjiro said tiredly, trying to pull him along.
"Wait—! Hey, let go of me!" Inosuke protested, struggling as Tanjiro dragged him away by force.
Meanwhile…
Tap tap!
"Help… please…"
A young girl in the Demon Slayer Corps uniform with a single ponytail was frantically running through the forest, her breathing ragged. Every few steps she looked back—the silver-white spider threads chasing after her gleamed faintly in the moonlight, writhing like venomous serpents that refused to let her go.
"I… I don't want to die… Mom… someone, please save me!!"
Just as the spider threads were about to reach her back—at the very moment she gave up—a gentle yet powerful arm caught her, pulling her into a warm embrace. A faint fragrance filled her nose, dazing her for a brief second. The one holding her seemed to radiate an inexplicable aura of calm; her mere presence was enough to make the frightened girl feel safe.
Before she could even look up to see her rescuer's face, the woman holding her spun gracefully, drawing her weapon in the same motion. The blade sliced through the air in a burst of violet light.
Slash! ×N
The once indestructible spider threads shattered instantly, and the shockwave from the sword's energy cut down several trees in their path.
Swish!
The Shogun leapt onto a branch, holding the girl close, then vanished in a flash of lightning—reappearing far away in the shadows.
"…Are you alright?"
Landing softly, she released the girl, asking gently.
"I-I'm fine… I think///…"
The girl finally got a good look at her rescuer under the moonlight—and her face flushed instantly. She had never seen such a beautiful woman. In the entire Corps, perhaps only Shinobu Kocho could compare. And this elegant lady's violet color scheme even reminded her of the Butterfly Hashira.
"Good. What about the others?" the Shogun asked calmly, relieved that she was unharmed.
"They… they were all controlled," the girl replied softly, her expression darkening.
"By whom?"
"I don't know… we only saw the webs. We never saw who was behind them," she answered, shaking her head.
"…How many Demon Slayers entered the mountain?"
The Shogun's gaze swept across the eerie, dark forest, her brow furrowing slightly.
"About… twenty or so. The first ten disappeared, so Headquarters sent another ten—mostly Mizunoto ranks."
Her answer was clear and composed.
"And you?" the Shogun asked, her eyes settling on the girl.
"I was sent as reinforcement… Mizunoto rank," the girl said quietly, lowering her head in embarrassment—as if ashamed of her low position.
"There's no need to be shy. You've done well—very brave," the Shogun said softly, reaching out to pat her head.
"///!"
The girl's face turned red as she looked up at her, flustered by both the praise and the gentle touch.
"Hmm—alright then. Stay with me. Better that than getting ambushed again," the Shogun said after glancing around the dark, perilous woods. Leaving the girl alone would only result in her getting caught again—or worse.
"C-can I? I won't slow you down?" the girl asked timidly.
"It's fine. You might not even have the chance to slow me down~," the Shogun teased lightly, giving her a playful tap on the nose with her fingertip before standing up.
"Get up—just follow behind me."
"O-okay///"
Blushing, the girl touched her nose shyly and nodded, obediently following behind.
Today truly must have been her lucky day—to meet such a kind and beautiful savior. She had been on the verge of death, yet this woman had saved her without hesitation. Is she also part of the Demon Slayer Corps? the girl wondered. Why haven't I seen her before?