"I was forced! I was forced to obey him! If I disobeyed, I'd be torn to pieces!"
As expected—when facing death, the first instinct was self-preservation.
If Rui heard those words, what would he think?
"Oh my~ Is that so? How pitiful. I'm willing to help you. Let's get along nicely, shall we?"
Shinobu spoke gently, her tone brimming with concern.
From Aoyama's perspective, she truly did sound kind and sincere—
But.
Looking down—
She was standing on the demon girl's body, crouched lightly atop her.
The scene… felt slightly off.
"Y-you'd really help me?"
The demon girl wavered.
"Of course. But I need to ask you something first, dear young lady."
Her eyes shifted subtly, though her voice remained soft.
"How many people have you killed?"
Looking up at her, the demon girl answered, "Five."
Tears welled up in her eyes as she turned her face aside.
"But I was ordered to! I had no choice!"
Such a pitiful display.
Aoyama decided there was no reason for him to stay.
With Shinobu here, the situation was handled.
He should hurry to Tanjiro's side.
Lower Five—Rui—was likely there.
He had only taken a few steps when Shinobu's next words made him halt instinctively.
Women.
What kind of creatures were they?
They could be gentle. Kind. Elegant.
And then—
Like this.
"Oh, I'm not angry~ I'm simply confirming the number. So we can decide on your punishment, and then get along properly."
"Pu—punishment?"
"If you kill so many and receive no punishment, how could their hatred ever be appeased?"
She spoke in the same soothing tone.
"For example, gouging out your eyes. Or cutting open your abdomen and pulling out your organs. The more people you've killed, the more thorough the punishment."
"Once you endure it all, your sins will be forgiven! Let's do our best together. It's fine~ You're a demon after all. You won't die from such things, nor suffer any lasting effects."
Aoyama's lips twitched.
Digging eyes. Pulling intestines.
The way she said it—
Like she was discussing peeling potatoes and slicing radishes.
A chill crept up his spine.
The demon girl snapped.
This woman had been toying with her from the start.
With a shriek, she flung out a mass of threads, aiming to cocoon Shinobu whole.
Aoyama instinctively turned, hand going to his blade—
But then—
He saw butterflies.
A swarm of shimmering butterflies seemed to flutter past the demon girl's form.
When they cleared—
Shinobu was already landing lightly on the ground.
"Insect Breathing — Butterfly Dance: Caprice."
The name suited it.
From the moment they met, she had been toying with her.
Approaching from the west, she had already known exactly how many lives were taken—
Yet still asked sweetly.
Her blade had not severed the neck.
Not because she lacked strength—
But because she preferred another method.
There were several ways to kill a demon.
The curse of Muzan. Sunlight. Nichirin blades.
Or—
Specially crafted poison.
And Shinobu Kocho was a master of toxins.
Before the demon girl could feel relief that her neck remained intact—
Her body convulsed.
She staggered backward, blood spilling from her mouth.
Then she collapsed.
"Just because your head isn't cut off doesn't mean you're safe~ There are swordsmen like me who use poison."
Shinobu flicked her uniquely designed blade in a graceful arc before sheathing it.
"Demon Slayer Corps, Insect Hashira, Shinobu Kocho. I'm the only Hashira who cannot cut off a demon's head. But I'm quite impressive at creating poisons that kill demons instead."
She tilted her head.
"Oh dear~ You're already dead. You can't hear me anymore, can you? My mistake."
Spoken with such sweetness—
And paired with that angelic smile—
Aoyama concluded she was a fusion of angel and devil.
"Oh? You were waiting for me? Shall we go together? I wonder if Giyu has finished his side~"
She turned to him.
"By the way, I didn't ask your name. How rude of me."
Aoyama's hand rose to the cloth covering his face.
He hesitated for a second—
Then lowered it.
"Aoyama Ren."
"A lovely name."
She smiled brightly.
By now, most of the Spider Family had been eliminated.
Only Rui remained.
He had pursued family bonds obsessively.
Yet his biological father had tried to kill him.
His mother had stood by without intervening.
Did that mean—
There had never been a true bond between them?
Several razor-sharp threads shot toward Inosuke.
They sliced into his flesh, embedding deep.
Blood sprayed from the wounds.
Tanjiro rushed forward, slashing at the threads binding Inosuke—
Clang—
A sharp metallic crack.
Tanjiro's blade snapped in two.
The bound Inosuke was hurled violently away.
The sound of bones fracturing echoed as he hit the ground.
Blood poured from his mouth.
And Rui's threads gleamed coldly under the moonlight.
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