Just as Kokushibo was preparing to set out to locate Nezuko, Muzan Kibutsuji summoned him through Nakime with an urgent report.
One of Muzan's Lower Moons, Rui, had been attacked on Mount Natagumo and the situation was unusual.
The intruder was a Demon Slayer who was not only unusually strong, but could also speak.
That detail alone made Kokushibo's expression sharpen slightly.
A talking Demon Slayer was rare. Dangerous, even.
For a moment, he considered whether it could be the same anomaly from earlier reports, but quickly dismissed the thought.
If that Slayer had truly been eradicated, not even ash would remain under his Transparent World perception.
Still, curiosity remained.
Without delay, Kokushibo agreed to investigate.
Muzan, reduced to his child-like form, lightly tapped Kokushibo's leg in approval.
The gesture was restrained, but carried the weight of command.
Kokushibo glanced down at him. "You are not coming?"
Muzan's expression remained calm and faintly amused.
"I will remain in the Infinity Castle," he replied. "Continue your research. Eliminate any variables."
There was no hesitation in his tone.
For Muzan Kibutsuji, everything unnecessary was already disposable.
With that, Nakime's Blood Demon Art shifted the space, and Kokushibo was transported to Mount Natagumo.
Mount Natagumo Lower Demon Activity ZoneThe air on the mountain was thick with threads of blood demon art, stretching across trees like a living web.
Kokushibo stepped forward silently.
Two massive spider-like demons immediately came into view, distorted abominations crawling with unnatural coordination.
Their presence was chaotic unrefined compared to true Upper Moons.
Yet they were still demons.
Kokushibo observed them calmly.
"…Interesting."
The spiders lunged without hesitation.
Kokushibo drew his blade in an instant.
Moon Breathing, First Form: Dark Moon – Evening Palace
A sweeping arc of crescent slashes erased both spider demons before they could close the distance.
Their bodies disintegrated instantly, without resistance.
Kokushibo lowered his blade slightly.
Weak.
But then
A smaller demon emerged from the shadows of the trees, trembling but alive.
It had a humanoid upper body fused with spider traits.
Lower Moon Five.
"I I am a demon too!" it stammered urgently. "Rui's older brother!"
Kokushibo regarded it silently.
He remembered.
Rui had been a child obsessed with family structure, forcing weak demons into roles to form a false household.
Pathetic but not irrelevant.
Kokushibo sheathed his blade slightly.
"Report," he ordered.
The demon immediately began speaking, panicked and breathless.
"More creatures… like mutated demons… have invaded the mountain. They attack anything humans, demons, everything…"
"And they are not afraid of Blood Demon Arts…"
Kokushibo's gaze sharpened.
Not afraid of demons?
That was unusual.
"Lead me," he said simply.
Deep Forest Rui's PositionThe threads of Rui's Blood Demon Art stretched violently across the battlefield, clashing against an enormous mutated spider demon.
The creature moved with brute force, tearing through silk threads and regenerating from damage in unnatural ways.
Even Rui was struggling.
His expression was tense, his breathing uneven.
"This isn't normal…" Rui muttered.
The creature roared incoherently and charged again.
Rui dodged, but several smaller spider demons swarmed him immediately, biting into his limbs.
"Tch!"
He severed them instantly with his threads but they reformed moments later, crawling again.
His regeneration was being slowed.
Poison.
Rui staggered back as the larger spider demon impaled his side with brutal force.
Blood splattered across the forest floor.
Arrival of KokushiboA presence descended.
The battlefield froze for a split second.
Kokushibo stepped forward through the trees, eyes narrowing as he assessed the scene with his Transparent World.
"Chaotic… but consistent regeneration pattern," he murmured.
His gaze shifted toward the enormous spider demon.
"…This one has a core."
The creature immediately reacted, sensing overwhelming danger.
It roared and lunged.
But Kokushibo moved first.
Moon Breathing, Sixth Form: Perpetual Night, Lonely Moon – Incessant
A wide, layered crescent slash engulfed the area.
The spider demon narrowly escaped by anchoring itself upward with silk threads, swinging between trees.
Kokushibo's expression remained unchanged.
"…It avoided it."
A faint hint of approval entered his tone.
The demon leapt again, screaming as it charged.
Kokushibo adjusted his stance.
"This time, I will end it properly."
Moon Breathing Fifth FormLunar Eclipse, Calamitous Whirlpool
A spiraling upward slash erupted, tearing through the terrain and forcing the trees themselves to collapse under the force.
The spider demon was driven back violently, forced into evasive movement.
Yet even now, it remained alive.
It smiled grotesquely.
"…Delicious…"
Kokushibo paused slightly.
Then his grip tightened.
"So it still has intent."
He stepped forward once more, blade raised.
The killing intent in the air deepened.
The battle had only just begun.
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