"Murata, Captain Rengoku Kyojuro should be behind us, right? Has he not caught up yet?"
"Yes, not yet. Captain Rengoku and the new member, Kanroji Mitsuri, might still be having dinner!"
Murata quickly reported.
"Why are they still eating?"
They had eaten together with Captain Rengoku.
The group had simply finished earlier, so Captain Rengoku told them to move ahead and search for traces of the demon.
But even if he ate more slowly, it shouldn't take this long, right?
How much time had passed? He still hadn't finished?
"Murata, hurry and report to Captain Rengoku. We'll hold this demon off for now. Everyone else, follow me!"
At the command, Murata turned and rushed back toward Rengoku, while the remaining Demon Slayer Corps members advanced toward the house where the demon lurked.
Seeing this, Ryuya felt slightly relieved.
So that was it.
A demon hadn't randomly appeared at the foot of Tanjiro's mountain—the Demon Slayer Corps had been relentlessly pursuing it and forced it here.
Watching the ordinary Corps members approach the house with visible unease, Ryuya quietly moved closer as well, his interest piqued.
Which Lower Rank could it be?
It had to be a Lower Rank. Upper Ranks usually had their own agendas—they would never resort to such an exposed and reckless way of devouring people.
"Blood Demon Art: Blood Mulberry Tree!"
A furious shout suddenly rang out.
In the next instant, a massive blood-red mulberry tree erupted from the ground.
Its thick trunk pierced through the roof, and jagged branches burst through the walls, splintering wood and scattering debris everywhere.
"It's a Blood Demon Art! Everyone, be careful!"
The leading Demon Slayer shouted, panic flashing across his face.
The tree's trunk and branches resembled bulging blood vessels, dark crimson fluid pulsing through them.
On the branches, clusters of tender fruit had already formed.
They were densely packed, resembling green caterpillars clinging to the bark.
As the dark red substance flowed through the branches, the caterpillar-like mulberries gradually turned a deep crimson.
"I didn't expect you fools to actually chase me all the way here!"
The demon leapt down from above and stood upon the blood-red branches, looking down mockingly at the frightened Demon Slayers.
Crimson eyes gleamed.
Lower Rank Three.
"Lower Rank demon!"
"Don't panic! Hold him back! Don't let him escape!"
The leader gripped his Nichirin Blade and began climbing the branches toward the demon.
"Just you small fry? And you really think I ran because I was afraid of you?"
He sneered.
"Today, all of you die here!"
Since the previous night, he had been hunted by Rengoku Kyojuro and his squad.
After testing Rengoku's strength, he realized he couldn't easily win.
So he had deliberately feigned retreat.
During his escape, he secretly contacted Lower Rank Four, Hantengu.
Two Lower Ranks against one Rengoku Kyojuro—that should be more than enough.
Hantengu should arrive soon.
First, he would eliminate these small fry, then join forces and take down Rengoku.
Perfect.
A savage grin stretched across his scarred face as he sliced open his wrist, letting drops of blood fall onto the mulberry tree.
His Blood Demon Art was intimately tied to this tree.
As his blood soaked into it, the green mulberries turned dark red.
Once fully matured, the crimson fruits detached and crawled down the branches like insects, rushing toward the Demon Slayers.
"Insects? No… mulberries?"
The thought had barely formed—
Bang!
A violent explosion erupted.
Blood mist burst into the air as the leading Demon Slayer's arm was blown clean off.
"My arm! My arm!"
He screamed in agony, mouth wide open.
A mulberry-insect seized the opportunity and leapt straight into his mouth.
His cheeks bulged grotesquely.
Bang!
His head exploded like an overripe fruit, scattering blood and fragments everywhere. His headless corpse collapsed heavily onto the ground.
The mutilated body was immediately swarmed by waves of crimson insects, gnawing at the flesh.
Meanwhile, the blood pooling on the ground seeped into the tree's roots.
The next moment—
A new branch sprouted.
Lower Rank Three watched with satisfaction.
This was his Blood Demon Art: Blood Mulberry Tree.
At first, it had been no more than a sapling.
Now, after devouring countless humans, it had grown into a towering tree.
The more blood it absorbed, the stronger it became.
The mulberries began as harmless green fruit.
Once they ripened and turned crimson, they crawled like insects.
The moment they touched a person—
They exploded.
"Don't touch them! They explode!"
The remaining Demon Slayers shouted in horror.
"Too late. What does it matter if you know?"
Lower Rank Three laughed.
The crimson insects that had feasted on the corpse had grown larger and faster.
They lined up across the ground as more dark red mulberries dropped from the branches, transforming midair into writhing insects.
Like a plague of locusts, they surged toward the Demon Slayer Corps.
Retreat?
Impossible.
The Demon Slayers swung their Nichirin Blades desperately, trying to cut down the insects.
But the moment a blade descended—
Bang!
The insects detonated preemptively.
Explosion after explosion filled the air, blood mist spreading like a deadly fog.
Within seconds, countless insects swarmed the Demon Slayers.
Even those who activated their Breathing Techniques and slashed wildly could not stop them.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Explosions echoed continuously.
The once peaceful town had descended into a bloody hell.
From a rooftop, Ryuya observed calmly.
He had already moved to avoid the blast radius.
Mulberries that transformed into crawling insects upon ripening… and exploded on contact?
Interesting.
"A demon?!"
The commotion shattered the town's quiet.
Cries, sliding doors thrown open, hurried footsteps—chaos erupted everywhere.
Makomo and Nezuko, who had been buying fabric, rushed out of the shop.
When Nezuko saw the severed limbs scattered across the ground, her pupils trembled violently.
She doubled over and vomited.
"Nezuko, don't be afraid. I'm here."
Makomo gently patted her back, her other hand already resting on the hilt of her Nichirin Blade.
A demon had appeared.
But where was Master Ryuya?
As the thought crossed her mind—
A presence materialized before her.
White hair.
Two horns protruding from its head.
Four symmetrical white lines marked its face.
Crimson eyes bore the inscription:
Lower Rank Four.
Without hesitation, the demon swung its claws, lunging straight at Makomo.
...
Author's Note:
The full completed version of Demon Slayer: Son of Muzan (Completed) is now on Patreon!
🔥 I also have additional 18+ fanfics available for readers who enjoy exclusive mature stories. 😉
1. Dragon Ball: Oolong's Sex Adventure
2. Elements of Lust – ATLA & Korra Mixed Smut
3. Doraemon: Filtering with Nobi Tamako
4. The Naive Me Who Became Someone's Everyday Secret
5. High School DxD: Rias Gremory, the Phenex Bride
6. Versatile Mage: Awakening the Succubus System
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