Rui, Lower Moon Five, the Spider Demon.
Of all the six Lower Moons, Rui was the only one Muzan Kibutsuji showed any special interest in, even allowing him to create a "family" and play the role of a "son."
People tend to sympathize with those who share their tragic experiences. Rui and Muzan both had fragile lives before becoming demons—one born with a weak constitution, the other likely suffering from sothing akin to leukemia. Both were bedridden, unable to live normal lives or care for themselves. Perhaps because of this "shared" past, Muzan sought Rui out and turned him into a demon, granting him new life but indirectly severing his only bond.
Because they couldn't accept the fact that their son had beco a demon and had to eat humans to survive... Rui's parents tried to kill him and then themselves, intending to die with him to atone for his sins.
That day, his father tried to end his life.
That day, his mother lay in a pool of blood, apologizing with her dying breath for not giving him a healthy body. In a daze, Rui realized just how important family was to him. And so... the demons of Mount Natagumo were born, forced under his control to play house with him.
Unfortunately, so things, once done, can never be undone.
Roy killed the "Older Sister Spider" with one strike, the "Younger Sister Spider" with two, sent Rui's "Parents" away with three and four, and pierced his "Older Brother's" heart with five... Looking back, he realized... Rui, the main body, was nowhere to be found.
[Notification: "Life Energy" 11 12 11 13 15...]
[Magical Beast Encyclopedia... Recording...]
[Spider Demon Family: D-Rank Creature]
[Physique: 187 → 321]
[Blood Demon Arts... [Thread Manipulation]... [Spider Venom]... [Carapace Hardening]... Extracted...]
Note 1: [Thread Manipulation]: Host can shape "Nen threads" into "spider silk" to manipulate others according to commands.
Note 2: [Spider Venom]: Host can inject toxins into "Nen aura" to "arachnid-ize" others.
Note 3: [Carapace Hardening]: Host can concentrate "Nen aura" on the skin to harden the surface and increase defense.
The panel notifications flooded Roy's mind along with streams of information. He savored them carefully. [Thread Manipulation] and [Carapace Hardening] were essentially just "Shape Transformation" and Ken.
Checking the panel again... sure enough, [Nen Shape Transformation 10].
[Spider Venom], however, could be quite useful for "interrogation," "torture," or simply catching opponents off guard with a nasty surprise.
Roy curled his thumb and middle finger, flicking them. A "Nen thread" shot out swish. With a thought, he imbued it with [Spider Venom] and struck a tall cypress tree nearby. Visibly...
The cypress, corroded by the potent toxin, broke out in white spots on its bark. A gust of wind blew, leaves fell, and the tree withered and died in the blink of an eye!
Simultaneously, an "Eye Demon" that had been spying from the tree let out a shriek—"Aaargh!"—and fell to the ground. Its body instantly began to transform into a spider before exploding with a BANG!
Green blood splattered, reaching Roy's feet.
The boy expressionlessly asked, "Did you enjoy the show?"
Sun-and-mountain earrings swaying, he cast a casual glance into the distance...
Infinity Castle.
Amidst a pool of blood, Muzan Kibutsuji, disguised as a geisha, had just personally disposed of Lower Moons Two, Three, Four, and Six, and helped Lower Moon One, Enmu, evolve... He sharply sensed Rui's anomaly.
The "Spider Boy" buried his head, shoulders shaking, trying hard not to lose composure in front of his "Master." Veins bulged around his blood-red eyes. He had just learned that his nest and his family had been wiped out!
"It's that swordsman..." As the "Eye Demon" died, Muzan saw it again—those Hanafuda earrings, and the boy's indifferent gaze stabbing into his heart like a knife, making him break out in a cold sweat despite himself.
He kept his face dark, struggling to maintain his calm. He reached out and patted Rui's shoulder. "Are you angry? Go then..."
"Take Enmu with you. Kill that swordsman for ."
"Yes." Enmu and Rui bowed to the ground. Naki strumd her biwa... transporting them out of the Infinity Castle.
After they left, Muzan stood frozen for a long, long ti. He called out softly, "Akaza. You know what to do."
"Kill!"
A young man dressed like a martial artist—short purple-red vest, white baggy pants, green sash, red hair, and golden eyes—knelt on one knee. He uttered only one word. Naki strumd her biwa again, opening another passage. In a flash, he vanished, chasing after Enmu and Rui out of the Infinity Castle.
"One Upper Moon, two Lower Moons... that should be enough..."
Muttering to himself in the disorienting Infinity Castle... Naki imdiately closed the dinsional space... Muzan clutched his chest, finally feeling a sliver of safety.
"Caw! Eiichiro Kamado! Letter from Giyu Tomioka!"
"Caw! Eiichiro Kamado! Letter from Giyu Tomioka!"
Outside Mount Natagumo, Roy had just finished cleaning up the spider demons and harvesting a wave of "Life Energy." He was preparing to go back and add his points when he heard a crow's cry. He extended his arm, letting the crow land. He recognized it imdiately.
It was Giyu's Kasugai Crow.
The boy had a vague guess. He opened the letter... On the small piece of paper, two concise sentences were written in Giyu's style.
"Eiichiro, the Master summons you. A Hashira eting will be held at noon the day after tomorrow. You must attend to discuss..."
"The movents of the Upper Moons!"
A storm was brewing... Roy keenly scented the air of slaughter!
He lightly pinched the paper, imbuing it with a trace of [Searing Essence], burning it to ash. He glanced at the sky... the night was fading, the red sun about to rise. The sky was filled with rosy clouds—a perfect ti to bury demons!
He said calmly, "Accepted."
"Caw!" The crow, having received its answer, spread its wings and flew off, dropping a black feather that drifted down onto the boy.
He leaned on his training blade, watching the sunrise. A mont later... he left the Demon Slayer world and returned to the Hunter world.
The familiar sensation of falling...
Hunter World, Padokea Republic, Zoldyck Estate, Kukuroo Mountain.
A two-hour nap worked wonders. When Roy opened his eyes and rolled out of bed, he felt refreshed, his depleted aura mostly restored.
He hadn't forgotten his grandfather Zeno's instructions. Before going to pay his respects to Zzigg that afternoon, he opened the drawer and took out the Record of the West Continent to study.
The very first sentence on the title page made him freeze.
[We are nothing but cockroaches despised by the gods. Inedible, disgusting to look at, simply banished to the Lower World.]
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