Disclaimer: Demon Slayer is not mine. This fanfic is a translation.
Enjoy Reading!
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Time passed slowly. The sun slanted westward, the last glimmer of light peeking out at the edge of the sky.
The tips of the tree canopy swayed slightly.
Second floor of the old mansion.
"Rui is an Upper Moon now... what exactly happened...?"
A white-haired girl leaned against the window, cautiously peering out only after the sun had fully set.
"...The number of family members keeps increasing, and Rui's control is getting stronger."
She placed her hand on the old wooden window frame, shrouded in spiderwebs. Even as the webs cut into her fingers, drawing beads of crimson blood, she paid no mind.
"At this rate, doesn't that mean our chances of escape are almost zero...?" The white-haired girl's voice trembled as she muttered to herself.
"Damn it...!"
Bang!
She pounded the wooden window frame in frustration.
Hidden within her silver-white eyes, so similar to Rui's, was an emotion called fear.
She was a demon, yet her appearance and clothing resembled Rui's.
The weak demons who feared demon slayers would naturally seek out companions, huddling together for survival.
But Rui was different.
He demanded that demons seeking help become his "family," change their appearance to match his, and survive on Natagumo Mountain according to the "family rules" he established.
Those who didn't comply either had their heads cut off or were tied up and burned in the sunlight.
The white-haired girl kept staring blankly out the window toward the foot of the mountain as she contemplated her life.
Creak—!
The wooden door behind her creaked. The white-haired girl, who played the role of "eldest sister" in the family, startled in fear and spun around to look behind her.
Tap.
A white-haired figure stood there, seeming to pause for a moment before speaking softly:
"...I didn't hear anything."
The newest member, just transformed into a "family" member, the "little sister," stood sideways in the doorway. Her hair now turned white; her expression blank, she turned her head slightly.
"Nee-chan."
"It's time for the morning meal. Rui sent me to call you down."
She stressed the words as she stood at the door sideways.
Seeing the little sister so quickly slip into her role, the eldest sister was taken aback for a moment.
The eldest sister released her grip on the window frame and nodded blankly. "...I'll be right there."
...
A group of demons, all with skin and hair as white as snow, sat in two rows. In the flickering orange candlelight, they silently stared at the old, worn clay bowls placed before them in the "family" eating room.
Rui sat at the end. He "played" the role of the youngest brother in the family.
The white-haired demons broke out in cold sweats, staring solemnly at the empty bowls before them, feeling loss.
"They're here."
Rui opened his eyes. He turned his head, looking toward the direction outside the mansion, muttering to himself.
"We can eat now."
The other demons all turned their gaze, filled with anticipation, in the same direction as Rui.
To feed so many demons, Rui created rumors of demons in the surrounding areas, continuously attracting demon slayers for them to eat.
Since the rumors never implicated Natagumo Mountain itself, he had never been exposed.
...
At the foot of the mountain.
Thump!
"Ow!"
Muichiro was tripped by tough spider silk between the bushes and fell heavily to the ground, crying out in pain.
"Be careful."
Yuichiro sighed as he turned around helplessly and reached out to pull his younger brother up.
"Stay alert; we're not sightseeing here."
He casually brushed the clinging spider silk off him.
"Ew... what is this stuff?"
Looking at the sticky silk entangled around his fingers that pulled taut when stretched, Yuichiro's expression soured.
Soichiro followed behind the two brothers. He observed the forest around them, shrouded in spider silk.
Click.
He quietly tightened his grip on the hilt of the sword at his waist.
Rustle, rustle...
The bushes not far ahead of them made a rustling sound.
"Stop right...there."
Under the Tokito brothers' wary gaze, a massive silhouette gradually rose from within the bushes, blocking the moon reflected in their pupils.
Nine large, spider-like pupils glinted in the moonlight, staring straight at them. A gruff voice rumbled.
"Demon Slayer, I will not let you advance another step."
Thump!
"Family... protect...!" It clenched its enormous fists, pounding them together, its speech sluggish.
Crystalline saliva dripped from the mouthparts of its spider head.
Muichiro looked up as the huge figure rose. "...So big!" He exclaimed in surprise.
"Is this the demon we're supposed to hunt?!"
He frowned as he pulled his head back slightly with a grimace of disgust.
"Spider head, human body... so gross."
Yuichiro held Muichiro back, staring up in horror at the massive demon before him and shouting. "...Stay away from it!"
He also frowned and couldn't help but glance back at the demon.
'Spider head, huh?'
In his mind, Inosuke's image kept popping up.
'Did everyone follow some kind of a trend or something?!'
Just as Yuichiro was trying to figure out how to handle his first real fight.
"Yuichiro, relax."
Soichiro walked up from behind, standing before the two brothers. His dark blue hair was tied in a small braid.
He turned around, moonlight casting sharp contrasts on his chiseled features. He smiled at the stunned Yuichiro.
"If you're too tense, your grip on the sword will shake." His tone was relaxed.
"Even enemies you can defeat become strong if you let your own fear win."
He gripped the hilt of his own sword with both hands, the blade pointed at the giant demon before him.
He looked up and met the gaze of the massive demon before him.
His time at the Butterfly Mansion hadn't been wasted.
Soichiro's grip now has an unprecedented strength feeling to it.
Even though he still only knew the First Form.
"Hiss—!"
White vapor escaped the corner of Soichiro's mouth. His focus instantly sharpened.
Before the clash, the white-haired little sister appeared quietly behind the massive demon. She glanced briefly at the Tokito family.
Two children, one adult.
No threat whatsoever.
"I'll leave him to you, Father." She turned, leaving a faint remark, and walked away.
After all, he wasn't her real father; there was no need for genuine emotion.
Just a game of playing house.
She had understood the rules of survival here shortly after joining this "family" yesterday.
Survival had always been what she did best.
Thinking back to the eldest sister she had just seen, that one didn't seem like a clever demon destined to live long.
"Roooar—!!"
The spider demon playing the role of Father opened its insectoid mouthparts and roared.
"...Father?" Soichiro caught the reference coming from behind the demon with a twitch of his ear just as he was about to swing his blade. He paused for a moment.
Looking at the huge demon before him, his gaze shifted to the white figure rapidly retreating in the distance. He frowned slightly.
"This whole family turned into demons?"
His hand unconsciously tightened, whitening his grip on the hilt.
He decided not to hesitate any longer.
)—Moon Breathing First Form!—(
)—Yamizuki - Yoi no Miya!—(
Soichiro pushed off the ground, his blade held horizontally. The pale moonlight reflected off the blade surface, tracing a veil of moonbeams.
He leaped through the moonlight.
"Rest in peace."
Swish!
The blade sliced through the demon without any resistance.
Thunk!
The massive spider's head flew into the air.
Thump, thump... clatter.
And landed precisely at the feet of the little sister, who hadn't walked far.
Feeling the touch at her feet, she instinctively looked down. Upon seeing the reflection of herself in the nine pupils of the head beneath her feet, she froze for a moment.
The little sister lowered her head, blinking her eyes. Only then did she register what happened, her pupils contracting sharply.
'What?!'
'Was Father decapitated in an instant?!'
Crunch, crunch...
The crunching sound of footsteps on fallen leaves came closer from behind her.
Swish!
Soichiro flicked his blade, sending the blood on it flying, and it splattered against a nearby tree.
He was walking step by step toward her, his voice sympathetic as he spoke.
"It must be painful."
"Not just yourself, but your family becoming demons too."
"Not being able to protect anything."
In his mind, he imagined a scenario where Muichiro and Yuichiro became demons.
Kaoru's tear-streaked face flashed briefly through his thoughts.
His expression gradually tightened.
For the first time in his life, Soichiro felt an unprecedented kind of hatred toward Muzan. His mission slowly shifted from merely helping others to killing Muzan once and for all.
A being that toys with humanity like this had no right to exist in this world.
Swish!
The blade's reflection showed Soichiro's darkened face while he reluctantly smiled.
"I'm sorry."
"I can't spare you."
"How cruel and unfair."
Crunch...
Soichiro stepped out from the shadow of the trees. His face emerged in the moonlight, his determined gaze fixed on the little sister's trembling form.
"Because... you are dangerous." He raised his blade, his tone earnest.
If he let them continue to exist, more people would only meet untimely deaths.
The little sister stiffly, slowly turned her head, the corners of her mouth twisting, cold sweat on her face, her pupils trembling as she looked at Soichiro.
Her silver-white pupils reflected the image of Soichiro holding his sword.
'Dangerous, my ass!'
'Didn't you see that huge demon you decapitated with just one swing?!'
She was so scared she couldn't utter a single sound.
Yuichiro and Muichiro watched as their father unintentionally terrorized a demon for their sake. The contrast between their usually kind father and this merciless one was so jarring; they were at a loss for words.
"...Dad is really scary today." Muichiro whispered as he stared at his father's back.
Gulp.
Yuichiro didn't reply, equally disturbed, as his hand gripped his sword to lessen his trembling form.
Though their father was usually unreliable, when he got angry, he was especially terrifying.
"Wait!!"
The little sister shouted, thrusting out her hand before Soichiro swung his blade. Her face pale with terror, she met Soichiro's eyes for a moment and spoke hurriedly. "I'm not—"
Before the little sister could finish speaking,
Swish!
Soichiro had already charged right up to her face.
He knew it was useless to let this demon explain any further; sending her to hell quickly was the right thing to do now.
He swung down with force!
Whoosh!
"Missed." Feeling the sensation in his hand, Soichiro paused.
He looked ahead.
"Cough, hah—! " The little sister's face was pale with terror, and she was gritting her teeth as she retreated. "Why won't you listen to me?!"
In her hands, she held her own head that she cut off herself.
Her instincts for survival were second to none, given how quickly she reacted to Soichiro's attack.
"I only joined this family yesterday!"
She yelled as she hurriedly reattached her head to her neck.
Without her head, her body becomes extremely weak and unable to operate correctly.
"I haven't harmed anyone—" She tried to explain, but it was useless.
Swish!
Moonlight flashed across her eyes.
Thunk!
A line of blood appeared on her freshly healed neck.
"...Eh?" The little sister's expression was dazed. She looked down at her neck in disbelief. "Why..."
"...I'm sorry." Soichiro slowly straightened up before her, gripping his blade tightly.
"I still only know this one form."
'That's not the problem at all!'
The little sister stared with incredulous eyes as her body fell limply backward.
Thump!
After collapsing to the ground, her head separated from her body and rolled to the side.
Her expression was full of resentment.
She had wanted to tell this swordsman that there was a very powerful demon up the mountain to make him run away quickly.
That way, she could both survive and score some points with Rui.
But...
Tears welled from her eyes, evaporating into ash before they could even hit the ground.
The little sister's face was filled with sadness.
'Why doesn't this guy listen to what demons have to say?!'
Soichiro noticed her mouth opening and closing, as if trying to say something.
He moved closer.
Suddenly.
His gaze caught something on her lips—thin spider silk, reflecting the moonlight as it swayed!
Soichiro's pupils contracted.
Fss!
Thin spider silk shot out from a nearby treetop!
Just as it was about to touch Soichiro's body!
Swish!
"Father!" Yuichiro rushed over, cutting through the spider silk that was about to wrap around Soichiro's body.
There are more than two demons. This place isn't right," he shouted.
Muichiro also hurried over. If his brother hadn't noticed movements on the treetop, they wouldn't have seen the spider silk in the darkness at all.
Cold sweat trickled down his forehead.
The three stood back-to-back, their blades pointed toward the pitch-black forest around them.
Where numerous pairs of silver-white eyes lit up within the woods.
---
-Location: Tamayo's Residence-
Meanwhile.
In stark contrast to the tense atmosphere on Natagumo Mountain, it was very tranquil here.
Click.
Yushiro placed a cup of tea gently before Michikatsu. "Please." His face was grim as his tone was stiff.
"Thank you." Michikatsu looked at him with both eyes and nodded slightly.
Only after explaining that he had freed himself from Muzan's control did Yushiro let down his guard.
Tamayo found it somewhat astonishing. Though she had never met him, she had always heard news of this man.
Just as Michikatsu picked up the teacup and took a sip.
Crack!
His hand tightened slightly, and a small crack appeared in the cup.
Michikatsu's expression stiffened for a moment.