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Uchiha Nagi looked at the sky. It was noon, and the sun was still high in the sky.
"No, Tanjiro, let's take a nap and set off in the evening."
"Ah, why?" Tanjiro asked, puzzled.
"Because they only appear at night. Even if we rush to Mt. Natagumo now, we won't see them. So, it's best to rest well now and reach Mt. Natagumo in the remaining two or three hours of the afternoon."
Uchiha Nagi looked at the map given by the old woman. "By the time we reach Mt. Natagumo, the sun will have completely set, and they should appear. We will then face the battle with optimal physical strength and condition. This is the most rational approach."
"Oh, oh, then let's rest now and fight tonight, hehe..." Inosuke finished his remaining soup, wiped his mouth, and then jumped to lie down in the shade of a tree. "Ga ga ga ga... This spot is mine."
Tanjiro rolled his eyes. "Nobody's fighting you for it..."
Inosuke: "...#"
The midday sun was exceptionally bright, but Uchiha Nagi and his group were all napping in the shade of the trees. The cicadas around them chirped incessantly, and the lush trees blocked the scorching sunlight.
The wind blew in cool gusts, and the forest was exceptionally peaceful. This kind of tranquility only existed during the day.
After a three-hour nap, Uchiha Nagi lazily led the three of them to Mt. Natagumo. Tanjiro's crow was initially cawing non-stop, but Uchiha Nagi stuffed its mouth with a rabbit leg, silencing it.
Moving at a steady pace, they walked for three hours and arrived at the foot of Mt. Natagumo just as dusk began to fall.
"Tanjiro, these are soldier's rations. Eat them when you're severely exhausted. They can supplement some nutrients in place of food. Each of you take one and keep it on you as a reserve."
Tanjiro and Zenitsu took the soldier's rations, then heard a 'Woo-ah' from beside them.
They turned to see Inosuke had immediately popped his into his mouth after receiving it.
Tanjiro: "..."
Zenitsu: "..."
Uchiha Nagi: "..."
"Idiot, those aren't snacks. They're for emergencies."
"Stop nagging! The fight's about to start, so of course I'm eating it now! Owooo, I'll take the lead! Pig Assault!" He said, pulling on his boar mask and charging forward.
"Wait a minute," Zenitsu suddenly said. "Wait, don't you guys feel how terrifying that mountain is? It's too scary."
Tanjiro rolled his eyes, knowing Zenitsu's timid nature was acting up again. "That mountain looks pretty ordinary."
"Wait, there's someone ahead—" Uchiha Nagi activated his Sharingan. Although its long-range reconnaissance wasn't as far as the Byakugan, it was still more powerful than an ordinary person's. The group rushed over and, in the dim light of dusk, saw a person in black clothing with the character 'Gui' (Kinoe) on their back, holding a nichirin blade, lying on the ground, covered in blood and moaning.
"It's someone from the Demon Slayer Corps." Tanjiro was the first to run over, intending to help the person up.
"Help, save me..." Before he could finish speaking, a powerful pulling force grabbed the Demon Slayer Corps member and dragged him flying into the forest.
"I'm also tied up! Help, help me—"
While Tanjiro and the others were still bewildered, not understanding what was happening, Uchiha Nagi made his move.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!" Several fireballs instantly flew ahead towards the person's back. Although it was a C-rank Ninjutsu, the trajectory of the fireballs could be controlled with Chakra.
Moreover, Uchiha Nagi had added a few shuriken inside the fireballs to ensure they would cut the spider silk connecting to the person.
Boom—
A cloud of dust rose, and the man who had almost lost his life was finally saved. "What happened? Why did he suddenly fly into the forest, and then Nagi-aniki (Nagi, older brother) shot a few fireballs halfway, and he fell down again?" Zenitsu was confused, as their eyesight wasn't good enough to see thin spider silks at night.
"It's spider silk. On his back, there were several strands of spider silk. They were too thin for ordinary people to see clearly at night." Uchiha Nagi could see them thanks to the energy transmitted through the spider silk.
Apparently, the opponent was controlling the spider silk with a Blood Demon Art, but the energy transmitted through the silk made it clearly visible to the Sharingan.
"When we go into the forest later, be careful of the spider silk. Make sure not to get it on you. They use the spider silk to control people," Uchiha Nagi said.
Tanjiro then questioned the surviving Demon Slayer Corps member, and his answer was as Uchiha Nagi had expected.
Their group, about ten Demon Slayer Corps members, should have had no problem dealing with one or two ordinary demons in the mountains. It was a group effort, after all.
But inexplicably, they were wiped out without even seeing a shadow of a demon. Teammates began killing each other, and only then did they realize that they had been controlled by spider silk in the trees.
Though their minds were clear, their limbs wouldn't obey, and they could only watch helplessly as their comrades killed each other.
At the same time, at the headquarters of the Demon Slayer Corps—
A man with blind eyes and veins covering his face as if disfigured, the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps, Kagaya Ubuyashiki, was sitting in his courtyard, listening to a crow's report.
"Is that so? All the children were wiped out, sacrificed, huh? Ah... They were all good children. It seems there must be one of the Twelve Kizuki there." Kagaya Ubuyashiki sighed, a faint sadness appearing on his face, but he quickly composed himself.
Because every year, countless Demon Slayer Corps members died in battle.
Kagaya Ubuyashiki spoke, giving instructions into the darkness, "Since there is one of the Twelve Kizuki there, we must deploy at least two Pillars. Giyu, Shinobu, I trouble you to go."
"Yes, Master—"
"Yes, Master—"
From the dark room, two figures slowly emerged: one was the current Water Pillar, Giyu Tomioka, whose expression was as cold as ice and never changed.
The other was the Insect Pillar, Shinobu Kocho, a beautiful woman with a gentle demeanor, a pleasant voice, and a tender smile.
Both were young, one a handsome man and the other a beautiful woman, but those who became Pillars had fought their way through countless battles, and their strength was beyond doubt.
After bowing to Kagaya Ubuyashiki, they activated their Breathing Technique and immediately rushed towards Mt. Natagumo with the speed of the wind.
"Also, see if there are any other Pillars nearby and have them go to support. If it's an Upper Rank Kizuki, two Pillars might not be safe," Kagaya Ubuyashiki worried.
The Twelve Kizuki are divided into six Upper Ranks and six Lower Ranks. A single Upper Rank cannot be defeated by less than two Pillars, and this has not changed in many years.
The six Upper Rank Kizuki have remained unchanged for centuries...