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

Tanjiro looked at Rui's cruel and indifferent expression.

He gripped the Blazing Sun Blade tightly in his hand, his eyes bloodshot yet increasingly resolute.

"Family ties are never about forcing someone to stay, nor are they empty promises! They are about selflessly protecting each other in times of crisis, caring for each other in dire straits, and never letting the other suffer even the slightest torment!"

His younger siblings and the figures protecting him flashed through his mind, and his voice was firm and resolute.

"My family and I would never hurt each other; we would only do everything in our power to protect each other. That's what true family is!"

"What ridiculous talk! Your entanglements are nothing more than this!"

Lei chuckled, his eyes filled with twisted madness, and the threads at his fingertips suddenly surged, densely covering the surroundings like a spider web.

"Lord Muzan said that killing you would give me true kinship! You don't even understand the essence of bonds, yet you dare to mention them! This so-called mutual protection is nothing but self-deception for the weak!"

Before he finished speaking, Rui suddenly waved his hand, and countless threads, like sharp blades, pierced through the air, heading straight for Tanjiro's vital points.

Wherever it passed, stones flew and vegetation broke.

Tanjiro moved with incredible agility, leaping to avoid the attack. He unleashed his Blazing Sun Blade, imbued with the power of scorching Blood Demon Art, and the burst of flames from the blade instantly severed several threads.

Sparks landed on the remaining threads, scorching them and leaving black marks.

Lei's eyes flashed with a fierce light, and with a flick of his wrist, the silk threads wrapped around the blade as if they were alive, attempting to bind the Nichirin Blade.

Tanjiro unleashed his wrist strength, causing the blade to spin and the flames to surge again, forcefully shattering the threads.

He pressed forward, his body engulfed in flames that coalesced around his blade, each strike carrying the power to incinerate everything, forcing Lei to retreat repeatedly.

Lei pulled back his leg while watching Tanjiro with great interest.

[Oh? His Blood Demon Technique can actually cut my silk threads?]

Tanjiro, gripping his Nichirin Blade, chased after the exhausted figure.

[Strange, strange, why does this Lower Moon Five seem even more powerful than Lower Moon Six! Even though I could cut his threads, he doesn't seem worried at all!]

Tanjiro quickly analyzed Rui's attack in his mind, and thus realized that there might be a huge generational difference in strength between each Lower Moon.

As Rui watched his threads being suppressed by Tanjiro's raging flames, a hint of anger flickered in his eyes.

"I feel like I'm being underestimated!"

As it spoke, the threads grew denser, eventually forming an impenetrable net that descended upon Tanjiro, its edges gleaming with a cold light, sharp as blades.

In an instant, a scent emanated from the silken net and entered Tanjiro's nostrils, startling him.

The scent emanating from the silk threads has changed; they've become... harder!

Tanjiro's pupils contracted sharply. Without time to think, all the flames around him surged towards the blade, which he raised high above his head.

"Blood Demon Art: Blazing Inferno!"

The blazing firelight, along with the blade, slammed into the silk net, breaking the silk threads instantly.

At this moment, only a slit was cleaved open, and the hard threads rubbed against the blade, producing a piercing metallic clang, with sparks flying everywhere.

Instead of breaking, the spider web tightened and wrapped around Tanjiro's limbs.

[Such incredible hardness! It can even alter the texture of the silk thread!]

Tanjiro's heart sank, and he hurriedly spun around to draw his sword, but the silk threads also lashed out at him.

Lei stood there, a cold smile playing on his lips.

He remained calm and composed, and the silk threads surged forth layer upon layer like a tide, not only increasing in hardness but also at an astonishing speed.

Each thread moved through the air, blocking all of Tanjiro's escape routes.

[No, this isn't his limit. He clearly isn't using his full strength. What should I do? My Blood Demon Art seems unable to burn through his threads.]

Tanjiro's heart sank. Although his demonized body could heal itself quickly.

However, it could not withstand such dense cutting by the silk threads, and several shallow bloodstains had already appeared on its body.

The silk threads seemed endless, as if they would never run out. She casually controlled the threads and walked towards Tanjiro.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Nenezuko, who had just killed the spider mother, had just calmed down.

They immediately sensed an even stronger sense of danger.

It possessed an aura even colder and heavier than any evil spirit she had ever sensed.

Could it be the tiredness it mentioned?

Mizuko's heart tightened. She gripped her Nichirin Blade tightly, pushed off with her feet, and sprinted towards the source of the aura like an arrow.

The trees in the forest rushed past, and the peas ignored the scratches from the branches and leaves.

[Wait, I can still feel my brother's presence. Could it be... that he's already connected with me?]

She could clearly feel that the chilling aura was growing stronger, while her brother's aura was being suppressed.

Ni Douzi grew increasingly anxious, urging his breathing technique to its fullest extent, increasing his speed even further until his figure was so fast that it was just a blur.

At this moment, Tanjiro was driven to the brink of despair. Exhausted, the threads wove into several dense nets, closing in from all directions, each one as sharp as a steel blade.

Tanjiro swung his Blazing Sun Blade with all his might, but the net behind him had already wrapped around his ankles, and the sharp threads instantly cut through his flesh.

[I have too much netting, what should I do?]

He struggled to break free, but was struck on the shoulder by the side thread, blood instantly seeping out. His demonic skin healed rapidly, but it couldn't keep up with the speed at which the thread cut.

"Is that all your Blood Demon Arts are capable of?"

Tired voice came from behind, cold and disdainful. His fingers flew, and the threads suddenly condensed into several thick, sharp blades, stabbing towards Tanjiro's heart, neck, and other vital points.

"Struggle, the more you struggle, the more I'll enjoy killing you. After all, by killing you, I can obtain the kinship promised by Lord Muzan."

Tanjiro gritted his teeth, unleashing a burst of intense flames that transformed into a layer of fiery armor that enveloped his body, forcefully blocking the sharp threads. The intense flames scorched the threads, producing a hissing sound and billowing smoke.

He seized the opportunity to close in, his blade slashing at Lei with the force of burning everything in its path.

"The family bonds you desire can never be bought with bloodshed!"

With a sharp glint in his eyes, he lightly raised his wrist, and an extremely thin yet exceptionally strong thread appeared out of thin air, precisely wrapping around the blade. With a sudden pull, Tanjiro was thrown off balance.

"snort!"

Lei snorted coldly, and another thread shot out like a venomous snake, heading straight for Tanjiro's throat. It was so fast that Tanjiro had no time to react.

At the critical moment, a nimble figure broke through the air, the blade light as gentle as water waves yet precise, instantly blocking the deadly thread!

"Water Breathing - First Form: Water Surface Slash!"

The azure waves steadily blocked the thread that was trying to cut off Tanjiro's head.

Lei stared in astonishment at the pink figure wielding the knife, his hands, which were controlling the silk threads, trembling uncontrollably.

Those cold eyes had now turned into surprise, disbelief, and a deep longing.

"Who are you……?"