So fast!
The white-haired girl was completely stunned.
Hatsune, to match the girl's height, intentionally knelt on one knee, his face close to her ear, making it look like they were embracing.
"Don't move, or I'll cut off your neck immediately."
"I... I won't move, please... please don't kill me."
The white-haired girl's throat was pierced, making her speech slurred. Though she said she wouldn't move, her small body trembled uncontrollably, feeling the cold invading her body through her throat.
"Who are you?"
"I... I'm Rui's sister."
"Who is Rui?"
"Rui... Rui is my brother. No, no, I'm... I'm being forced. He's not my brother. He... he's the Lower Rank Five of the Twelve Kizuki."
"Twelve Kizuki?"
Hatsune could hardly believe his ears. At first, he thought he had misheard, but when the girl confirmed it again, he realized he had heard correctly.
He never expected to encounter a Twelve Kizuki here. But then again, who else but a Twelve Kizuki could kill so many Demon Slayers?
The strong sense of surprise filled his heart, making his breath quicken. He longed to rush to the Twelve Kizuki and loudly ask if they had seen his sister. Where was she now?
"Where can I find him?"
"He... he's by the river."
The girl hesitated for a moment before answering. She knew Rui's strength well. Though Hatsune and Nae were strong, they were no match for Rui. If Rui found out she betrayed him, she would face even worse consequences.
After a brief moment of thought, the girl decided to direct them to her father instead. With her father's strength, he should be able to handle them, and he wouldn't blame her for leading them to him.
"Are you lying to me?"
"No... how could I dare lie to you?"
"It doesn't matter. Knowing a Twelve Kizuki is in the mountain is enough. You can go now."
Hatsune's wrist shook, and the girl's head flew into the air without a drop of blood.
As she watched her body move away, she felt both a desire to live and a fear of death, more than anything else, disbelief.
"You said you wouldn't kill me."
I never said I wouldn't kill you!
Before the head hit the ground, the Nichirin Sword was sheathed with a "clang," and Hatsune stood up, darting into the forest, quickly running toward the river the girl had mentioned.
Nae stood there, stunned, unsure whether to follow. She knew she had truly angered Hatsune this time. Otherwise, he wouldn't have left without a word, no matter how cold he was.
As the white-haired girl died, the nearby white cocoon gradually loosened. Murata, shirtless, crawled out, quickly shaking off the acid on his body.
Seeing the white-haired girl turn to ash and Nae standing nearby, he sighed in relief, thinking Nae had saved him by killing the girl.
"Did you kill her? Thank you so much. Without you, I would have been reduced to a puddle of blood."
Hearing this, Nae turned to Murata. She suddenly realized that Hatsune might have sensed Murata was in danger, which is why he didn't save the others.
As he said, those people were already dead. What good would cutting them down do? Saving a living person was more valuable.
The more she thought about it, the more she felt she had wronged Hatsune. She regretted her earlier words, gave Murata a forced smile, and nodded symbolically before quickly chasing after Hatsune.
Watching Nae's pink silhouette disappear into the forest, Murata felt incredibly lucky. He had been saved twice in one night, first by Tanjiro and now by Nae.
He had seen Nae's waist tag, also marked Mizunoto, and wondered if all Mizunoto were now this strong.
Elsewhere in the forest, Zenitsu, searching for Tanjiro, had accidentally taken the wrong path, losing track of the others.
He wandered aimlessly, calling out Tanjiro's and Nezuko's names, and unknowingly reached a strange clearing.
Under the moonlight, a wooden house was suspended in mid-air by spider webs. A demon with a human head and spider body emerged from the house, smiling as it spotted Zenitsu in the forest.
Tired, Zenitsu leaned against a tree, talking to himself, "Tanjiro, Nezuko, where are you?"
The forest was vast. Where should he go to find them?
Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain on the back of his hand. Gasping, he saw a bean-sized wound oozing blood.
Already agitated, Zenitsu scanned the area and saw a fist-sized spider hurriedly fleeing.
"Another spider?"
Zenitsu picked up a small stone and threw it at the spider in frustration. "Tanjiro, I've been bitten. Come save me!"
Zenitsu knew Tanjiro wouldn't appear, but calling out their names gave him courage.
Rested, Zenitsu got up to continue his search. Suddenly, he heard a voice behind a tree.
"Hehe, I'm here to save you."
"Tanjiro?" Zenitsu was delighted, thinking Tanjiro had found him. But turning around, he saw a grotesque head looking at him.
Zenitsu screamed, scrambling away from the tree, staring in terror at the approaching figure.
The head slowly emerged from behind the tree—a demon with a human head and spider body, causing Zenitsu's hair to stand on end.
"Entering Spider Mountain, no one leaves alive. Your Tanjiro might already be eaten by my family. Soon, you'll be eaten too."
"A demon!" Zenitsu didn't hear the demon's words clearly, screamed again, and ran toward the clearing.
"Stop him."
The demon commanded, and dozens of human-headed spider-bodied creatures emerged from the bushes, baring their teeth at Zenitsu.
"Don't chase me, don't chase me. Tanjiro, come save me!"
Zenitsu ran with his eyes closed, calling out for Tanjiro. After a few steps, he felt dizzy.
What... what's happening? Why can't I stand steady?
"Hehe, you coward, look at your hand."