Demon Slayer: Tanjiro becomes a ghost, Nezuko becomes a pillar!

Chapter 96 Obsession

Lei's spider silk armor had been condensed, and the huge blood-red spider web on his back spread out like wings.

Tanjiro's wrist went numb from the force of the armor's rebound. He spun around and retreated, his blood-red eyes fixed on Lei.

"Trying to escape?"

Lei suddenly spread his hands wide, and countless dark red threads surged from his palms, intertwining and swirling in the air, instantly condensing into two long, narrow swords.

The blade gleamed with an eerie metallic luster, clearly several times harder than the previous silk threads.

His figure pounced on Tanjiro like a ghost, his twin swords slashing alternately, cutting down trees in their wake.

Tanjiro dared not be negligent in the slightest. His Nichirin Blade's crimson flames surged, and he unleashed the Hinokami Kagura's dance moves to their fullest extent.

Each swing of the knife was a precise parry, the crisp sound of the blades colliding echoing through the forest like a drumbeat.

Sparks flew through the forest, and red and gold and dark red lights flashed and intertwined as the two moved so fast that they were just afterimages.

Exhausted, his dual-wielding attacks became increasingly ferocious. His spider silk armor allowed him to ignore most of the burning flames, and the blood web behind him sometimes transformed into a shield to withstand attacks, and sometimes shot out spikes to launch surprise attacks, each move aimed at killing him.

Tanjiro, relying on the self-healing ability of his demonic body, withstood the damage; wherever the flames passed, the spider silk was completely carbonized.

But the silk threads kept coming in endlessly; as soon as one batch burned out, a new one would immediately wrap around him, always forcing him into a passive position.

At this moment, Rui's strength had already surpassed that of the Lower Moon and was approaching that of the Upper Moon. Every time the two swords clashed, Tanjiro felt a piercing pain in his arm.

He had never received any systematic training, relying entirely on his instinctive inheritance of the Kitchen God's music and dance, and his unwavering belief in protecting the beans.

"You can't hold on!"

The sound of exhaustion pierced through the crisp clash of weapons as the twin swords exerted force, pressing Tanjiro's Nichirin Blade downwards.

"You're a ghost too, born alone. Wouldn't it be better if you were my older brother?"

Tanjiro gritted his teeth, the demon mark on his forehead becoming even more vivid with the exertion, and forcefully raised the Nichirin Blade half an inch upward. Crimson and gold flames spread along the blade, scorching the silken blade and making a sizzling sound.

"You don't understand what family means at all. We are not your real family. No matter how you pretend or imitate, it's not real."

"Then what is real?!"

His exhaustion suddenly erupted, and the force in his hands increased abruptly, his eyes surging with rage and resentment.

"My own parents, after learning I'd become a ghost, actually tried to kill me with knives! Is this what you call family love?!"

Tanjiro's movements paused slightly, then he slowly shook his head, his eyes filled with a trace of pity.

"Impossible. No parent doesn't love their child. If they really wanted to kill you, how could you still be standing here?"

These words struck Lei's mind like a thunderbolt, causing his strength to suddenly loosen and his attack with the twin swords to instantly falter.

A blurry memory suddenly exploded in my mind.

In the dimly lit room, the man's face was covered in tears, his hand holding the knife trembled incessantly, and his voice suppressed a desperate sob, repeating itself over and over again.

"I'm sorry, I'm so tired... We didn't take good care of your health, and you've suffered so much... But you killed someone, and the authorities will be here to arrest you soon... We'll be here to join you soon, very soon..."

The man raised his knife again and again, only to put it down dejectedly each time, his eyes brimming with heartache and despair.

Why was he crying? Why was he apologizing so much?

Exhausted, his mind was in complete chaos, and the spider silk blade began to tremble slightly.

Those memories buried by Muzan surged up like a tide, making him doubt his own obsession for the first time.

Tanjiro keenly sensed his momentary lapse and immediately intensified his counterattack.

"You must have lived with a loving family. It's something you forgot after becoming a ghost; you must have received it!"

"Shut up!"

Lei roared violently, trying to dispel the images in his mind, but the image of the man crying became clearer and clearer.

Why was he crying? Why was he apologizing?

Just as he was pondering this in his mind, a pale, unremarkable figure suddenly appeared deep within his consciousness, a cold hand gently stroking the top of his head, a voice carrying a seductive allure.

"Their apologies are merely an attempt to lessen their guilt for committing the act."

"Don't forget, he had already raised his knife; he really wanted to kill you!"

Muzan's words extinguished the last remaining doubts in Rui's heart like ice water. The confusion in his eyes vanished instantly, leaving only cold cruelty, and killing intent surged in his scarlet eyes.

"You're right, they wanted to kill me anyway! In that case, everyone who refuses to be part of my family deserves to die!"

Before he finished speaking, the twin spider silk swords in his hand suddenly split into several thin, long threads, which coiled around Tanjiro's limbs like venomous snakes.

Tanjiro's pupils contracted sharply as he instantly recognized the attack, and he roared.

"Blood Demon Art: Blazing Inferno!"

Raging flames erupted from his body, forming a scorching barrier of fire. The incoming threads melted as soon as they got close.

Kelei was prepared; the blood-red spider web on his back suddenly unfolded, and countless spider silks shot towards Tanjiro like a torrential rain.

At this moment, Nezuko watched Tanjiro and Rui's fierce battle.

She was about to get up to help, but the pain in her lungs made her grit her teeth and endure it.

[Even Kagura's breathing technique doesn't suit me? What could be the reason? Kagura's breathing rhythm is too difficult; even using it once has caused such a significant side effect.]

Midouzi kept her head down, constantly analyzing the reasons in her mind, but seeing her brother being suppressed, she couldn't calm down and analyze the situation properly.

Calm down, calm down. Rushing in like this will definitely make things worse. Calm down, calm down.

Midouzi gritted her teeth, trying to calm her thoughts and review the effects of the breathing technique.

It was in this tense moment that Mizuko remembered something Zenitsu had said.

"Needouzi is amazing; she might even create her own breathing technique!"

[Your own breathing technique...]

The thought flashed through Midouzi's mind, and she clenched her fists.

[If I first use water breathing to stabilize my breath, and then combine it with the Kagura dance...]

Thinking of this, Midouzi instantly found a direction, and a glint of light flashed in her eyes.

She braced herself against the ground, slowly trying to stand up, preparing to try to combine the two breathing techniques.

Even if it's just a preliminary attempt, it's good that it can help her brother.

But just as her knees left the ground and her fingertips touched the broken half of the knife beside her...

A sharp, venomous female voice suddenly came from the depths of the shadows in the forest, piercing the brief peace like a poisoned dagger.

"I'm the tired older sister, you bitch, go to hell!"