"Nezuko… Nezuko, wake up."
A pair of gentle hands cupped Nezuko's face.
It was their mother.
The mother who had long since passed away.
"Nezuko, wake up. You can do this now. Be strong. Please… Nezuko."
The tender voice echoed in the darkness.
Suddenly—
Nezuko's eyes snapped open.
Her fingers spread wide.
"Blood Demon Art—Exploding Blood!"
The crimson threads binding her ignited instantly, burning away.
Below, Rui staggered back, startled, looking up in disbelief.
She had burned through his threads.
And in that split second—
A blade slashed toward his neck.
Rui's body jerked backward to evade.
But Aoyama was already on him.
His pupils sharpened, the Transparent World opening before his eyes.
He pushed off the ground.
"Total Concentration!"
"Light Breathing—First Form: Flash!"
The blade bit deep.
Rui's head soared into the air.
At the same moment, Nezuko—having burned the threads—fell from above.
Aoyama spun swiftly and caught her in his arms.
After using her Blood Demon Art, Nezuko slipped back into unconsciousness.
Then—
The scent of blood thickened.
Aoyama's instincts flared. He immediately leapt back with Nezuko in his arms.
The body that had just fallen—
Stood back up.
"…Not dead?"
Aoyama stared at Rui's headless form, unsurprised.
After all—
He was one of the Twelve Kizuki.
Rui's severed head smirked.
"You think you killed me that easily? How laughable."
Silver threads extended from his hands, dragging his fallen head back toward him.
"The instant your blade touched my neck, I used threads to sever it myself. You didn't cut it—so I won't die."
He caught his own head and placed it back onto his neck.
Flesh reconnected seamlessly.
Aoyama let out a soft chuckle.
"It's fine. I don't mind doing it again."
He gently laid Nezuko against a tree.
Then he lifted the still-collapsed Tanjiro and positioned him beside her.
If anything unexpected happened, Tanjiro could at least shield her.
Inosuke still lay flat on his back not far away—but Aoyama had no time for him now.
Rui's gaze fell on Nezuko.
The desire to make her his "sister" had vanished.
Now—
He only wanted to kill them all.
It had been a long time since anyone had angered him like this.
If he couldn't have their bond—
He would destroy it.
His hands turned blood-red once more.
The threads emerging from his fingers shifted from silver to crimson.
"This time," Rui said coldly, "I'll tear you all apart without mercy."
Aoyama steadied his breathing.
His blade tip lightly touched the ground.
His heels lifted slightly.
His center of gravity rose.
Rui's veins bulged.
"Blood Demon Art—Murderous Eye Cage!"
Unlike the previous Cutting Thread Cage, which formed a web—
This technique was denser.
More lethal.
Crimson threads spiraled violently around Aoyama, tightening, rotating faster than before.
This time—
Rui was killing with everything he had.
"Total Concentration!"
"Light Breathing—Seventh Form: Swift Phoenix Feathers—Revised!"
Power surged through Aoyama's legs.
He launched upward.
His blade danced at blinding speed—
White feathers manifested midair.
When the blood-red threads touched them—
They dissolved instantly.
As if melting.
Rui's pupils shrank.
This time, it wasn't a single feather.
It was a storm.
A sea of white.
And from that sea—
Aoyama stepped forward.
"You—"
A streak of light flashed.
Rui's unfinished words died in his throat.
Aoyama slowly sheathed his blade.
Without even turning fully, he said calmly,
"I told you. You touched someone you shouldn't have."
"And I don't mind cutting your head off again."
Rui's head hit the ground.
His fading gaze turned toward Nezuko—
And Tanjiro, who shielded her even while half-dead.
That bond…
That was the bond he had always sought.
Ding!
"Host has slain one of the Twelve Kizuki — Rui."
"Rewards: Body Enhancement +100, Blade Sharpness +50, Speed +50."
"Bonus: One Random Treasure Chest."
A treasure chest shimmered before Aoyama.
Open now?
He nodded.
The chest opened.
"Ding! Treasure chest opened successfully!"
"Rewards: Demon-Slaying Poison ×3, Spirit Summoning Scroll ×2, Money ×10,000."
Spirit Summoning Scroll?
Aoyama's thoughts flickered.
Could it summon spirits?
If so—
That would be terrifyingly powerful.
A faint sound cut through the air.
Wind brushed past him.
He sensed no hostility and remained still.
The mask on his face fell to the ground.
Before him stood a man.
Not just any man—
It was Giyu Tomioka.
Giyu's eyes rested on the young man before him.
"You are the other disciple Urokodaki-sensei accepted."
"Aoyama Ren."
He had met Tanjiro before.
And the young man standing here beside Tanjiro—
Matched the name written in Urokodaki's letter.
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