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Chapter 24

"What is that sound?"
Tanjiro looked around.

"Not again..."
The guy spoke up, trembling.
"I've heard this sound before. It's the sound I heard before everyone started to kill each other!"

From the left, I could see someone approach. It was another demon slayer, this one with his sword drawn.
And not just one! Dozens of them!

They charged at us, and we all do our best to dodge the oncoming slashes. Their movements were so mechanical, it was nothing like what Urokodaki taught us.

Inosuke laughed while I ducked, a sword slashing right above my head.
"Haha! Are these guys morons or something? Don't they know it's taboo for us demon slayers to fight each other?"

"That's not it! They're acting odd, like they're being manipulated!"
Tanjiro dodged an oncoming attack, and a strong breeze confused them for a moment, but even my airbending was useless as they simply got back up.

Inosuke drew his sword.
"I'm gonna cut 'em all to pieces!"

"You can't do that! Most of them are still alive!"
I yell and quickly get in front of him to stop him.
"We can't kill them! Alive or not, they're still our teammates!"

He growled, slamming his head into mine.
"You! Stop defying me every time!"

I clear my head quickly, ignoring the pain.
With a swift motion, Tanjiro and Inosuke knock out the others that tried attacking the demon slayer beside us.

I see a thin, shimmering string on both of their backs, Tanjiro probably sensing them too as we both cut them.

The bodies were released, falling flat onto the ground.
I kneel down to inspect it, surprised as I recognized the thin thread.
"Spider webs...?"

"That's what it is! They're being manipulated! We have to cut the strings!"
Tanjiro's words were loud and clear as I nod, Inosuke already going for it as he severed multiple strings from the other demon slayers.

"I already knew that before you caught on!"
He yelled.

"Where is it coming from?"
Tanjiro looked around, but neither of us could smell nor see any particular source.

"I don't know. I can't see anything!"
Tanjiro grabbed his nose, disgust registering on his face.

"Did you smell something?"

"What an irritating odor! It was just a second and it stung!"

We both hear the rattling noises again, looking down at the source, tiny spiders weaving their webs around our wrists.
"What is thi-!"
Our arms are suddenly pulled by the webs,  and we quickly sever them.

"The spiders. They're the ones attatching these puppet strings!"
The rattling starts again, and Tanjiro and I see the bodies we fought earlier come to life once more, contorting as the webs pulled them upright.

"Cutting the strings wasn't enough! The spiders will just weave new ones!"
Tanjiro held his nose again, probably due to the odd scent probably being carried by the breeze.

"I wanna try something! All of you grab onto something and hold on tight!"
They nod and hold onto the trees, looking at me.
Alright, this is gonna be difficult, but it should keep the spiders away for a good while.

I take in a deep breath and hold it, raising my staff high above the ground. Once I slam it back down against the ground, I release the air ten fold feeling it shake every tree in range, forming a massive dust cloud that I easily cleared, and I was right, the spiders were now blasted far off.
"Now we just have to find the demon controlling them! Inosuke! You're an earthbender, right?!"

I dodge the slash that came my way, ducking.
"Yeah?! What about it?!"

"Can't you somehow find the location of the demon through the ground? If you can then please, do it!"
I yell at him, pushing Tanjiro out of the way as a sword nearly slashed us both.

"This weird scent is being carried through by the wind, so my nose isn't working great! And-"

The other demon slayer caught on.
"It's Murata!"

"Right! Murata and I will find a way to deal with these people! You and Y/N find-!"

We're all quieted as a shadow loomed above us, looking up to see a young boy balancing on the webs above.
His skin was pure white with red dots, and he wore a white kimono detailed with black webs, and the whites of his eyes were deep red.
A demon.

He glared down upon us.
"Don't disturb my family's peaceful life. Mother will kill you all right away."

Mother? This demon... has a family?
Inosuke charged up to strike, but didn't reach high enough as he fell down again.
The demon boy seemed unphased, not even flinching as he simply walked away on the threads.

"Damn you!"
Inosuke screamed, falling.
"Who the hell do you think you are?! Fight me!"

I rush to grab him before he hits the ground, but his weight brings me down as well.
"Inosuke! Y/N!"

I push Inosuke off of me, wincing.
"I'm fine! We have demons to worry about!"

"Who the hell was he anyway?!"

"That kid probably isn't the demon pulling the strings! So we should probably-"

"I get it! I get it!"
Inosuke yelled, annoyed as he severed the strings from a demon slayer who tried to attack him.
"You want me to find where the demon's at, right? Shut up already and don't move!"

He slammed both of his swords into the ground, getting down on one knee, one of his arms spread out, the other one ready to slam into the ground.
"Beast Breathing : Seventh Form. Spatial Awareness!"
His fist hit the ground, shaking it for a while before he lifted his hand up.
"I found it!"
He looked towards his extended hand.
"There you are!"

《 •|• 《♡》 •|• 》

End
● Chapter 24 : ●
● "Mount Natagumo." ●