The white-haired Demon looked timid, with numerous cuts on its body from sharp rocks, appearing weak and helpless.
"You—"
Staring at the Pitch-Black Aura wrapped around Kurozawa's hand, the white-haired Demon wanted to ask Kurozawa what exactly he was. Usually, Demons could recognize each other through bloodline connection, but it couldn't confirm if Kurozawa was a Demon, yet the Pitch-Black Aura was clearly not something a human should possess.
Interrupting the white-haired Demon's useless words, Kurozawa stepped forward, using his finger to lift its chin and raise its face. His voice was calm but firm: "Answer my question. Where is the strongest Demon on Mount Natagumo?"
"I... I can't say clearly."
The white-haired Demon stammered slightly. Being stared at so closely by Kurozawa, it felt every cell in its body screaming, urging it to get away from him.
Despair, misfortune, ominousness—the closer it was to Kurozawa, the stronger the aura of the Power of Despair from him became, unsettling the Demon.
"Can't say clearly? Then there's no need for me to keep you."
*Boom!* The Pitch-Black Aura ignited in his hand, burning the white-haired Demon's face, instantly plunging it into painful struggle. However, under the threat of life and death, the white-haired Demon gritted its teeth and endured the pain, shouting loudly: "No, no! It's just that the mountain paths are too complicated! I can take you there!"
Hearing this, Kurozawa withdrew his hand, and the Pitch-Black Aura returned to his body.
Looking down at the white-haired Demon, Kurozawa slowly said: "My purpose here is only that Twelve Kizuki. Don't try any tricks. It's not impossible for me to let you go afterwards."
Twelve Kizuki? The white-haired Demon's heart jumped. This man knew that being was a Twelve Kizuki and still dared to come alone.
In an instant, the white-haired Demon felt fortunate for its quick surrender. A moment later, it might have been instantly killed. In the face of such a vast power difference, struggle was utterly useless.
"My lord, I was also coerced and imprisoned on Mount Natagumo by him. If you can kill him, it would be a good thing for me."
This meant the white-haired Demon wouldn't try any petty tricks.
After speaking, its small, lingering cuts were completely healed, but it didn't attempt to escape or resist. The white-haired Demon obediently walked ahead, leading the way for Kurozawa.
Looking at its expression as it walked, it seemed impatient to have Kurozawa meet the Twelve Kizuki.
"What is his name?" Following behind the white-haired Demon, Kurozawa confirmed his information with it. If his memory wasn't wrong, the other party was likely the Lower Moon Five, Rui.
"Rui, his name is Rui."
"His appearance is just a harmless little boy, but his heart is extremely vicious." The white-haired Demon touched its face, its voice filled with fear and deep-seated hatred.
Sounds like there's a little story here. Kurozawa became interested. "Tell me, how did Rui control you?"
The white-haired Demon trembled, realizing Rui wasn't nearby. Only then did it grit its teeth and say: "I was initially just an ordinary woman at the foot of the mountain. After being turned into a Demon, I never harmed anyone. I ran into Mount Natagumo myself, wanting to stay away from people to resist the urge to drink blood."
"But I didn't expect to meet Rui here. He looked very fragile and quiet. Suddenly, he asked me to be his mother. I didn't understand what he meant and didn't agree. Then he revealed his true nature, embedding spider silk into my body, forcibly changing my appearance."
"After that, I was confined to Mount Natagumo by Rui, playing the role of a mother according to his demands. If anything was slightly off, I would be tortured..."
As it spoke of its hatred, the white-haired Demon seemed to forget that Kurozawa was also someone who could take its life at any moment. It paused its steps, then turned its head to look at Kurozawa.
Kurozawa gave nothing away, watching its movements.
"Look, this is my original appearance..."
Under the moonlight, fine, thread-like protrusions appeared on the white-haired Demon's face, then spread outwards like ripples. In just a blink, its entirely snowy-white skin turned back to a normal skin tone, and its face changed dramatically, looking completely different from before.
Touching its face, the white-haired Demon said bitterly: "I've almost forgotten what I originally looked like. As long as Rui finds out I've changed back, I'll be punished. Thousands of spider threads will enter my body and twist..."
It seemed to recall painful memories, and the white-haired Demon shivered, then its expression became somber.
"Looking at it that way, his personality is truly awful, and unique."
Kurozawa rubbed his chin, a glint flashing in his eyes.
A Twelve Kizuki who likes playing house and forcing others to be his family...
He looked up at the sky. The moon was currently obscured by a passing cloud, and the moonlight became dim. The already eerie and dark mountain forest seemed even more silent and terrifying.
"My lord, beside Rui, there is another powerful Demon, as Rui's father."
"He has been completely driven insane by Rui's torture, but he also gained considerable power from Rui, much stronger than me."
"The Swordsmen who died in the mountains were all killed by the father. Rui rarely acts himself."
"Please be careful, don't mistake them. The harmless-looking little boy is Rui; the one who looks ferocious is just his puppet."
Because of its hatred, and the white-haired Demon's belief that Kurozawa had the ability to deal with Rui, it was truly acting as a good informant.
"It seems you've suffered a lot of torture."
Kurozawa stared at the white-haired Demon, speaking lightly.
"Tell me about his ability."
Kurozawa vaguely remembered that Rui could control threads, but he had forgotten the specifics. Knowing oneself and the enemy leads to victory in every battle. By first understanding the opponent's ability, he could be more relaxed.
"Threads, a kind of hardened thread."
"That's it?" This Blood Demon Art sounded too ordinary, making Kurozawa somewhat suspicious.
The white-haired Demon gave a bitter smile and said: "Their sharpness surpasses a Swordsman's Nichirin Blade. They can easily cut through a Nichirin Blade, and they are so hard that they won't break even under a full-force slash."
"Furthermore, Rui's body is also extremely tough. I saw it with my own eyes. He stood still and let a Swordsman slash at his neck. That Swordsman's Nichirin Blade was vibrated out of his hand and flew away, while Rui was completely unharmed."
Sometimes, pure simplicity means strength. From the white-haired Demon's words, Kurozawa gained a deeper understanding of Rui's ability, and at the same time, became more vigilant.
Limited by a human body, even if Kurozawa's physical attributes were stronger than a Demon's in all aspects, he still feared getting injured. Facing a Blood Demon Art with high attack power, he would be considerably restricted, as once he was severely injured, it would be over.
In the Demon Slayer Corps, many Swordsmen did not die in battle itself, but died from severe injuries after killing Demons. The proportion of such Swordsmen was shockingly high.
Guided by the white-haired Demon, Kurozawa fell silent, lost in thought.
"My Pitch-Black Aura can defend against Blood Demon Art attacks, but the threads can easily break a Nichirin Blade. I wonder if it can block them."
The material of Nichirin Blades was very hard; Kurozawa didn't want to clash head-on with threads that could break them so easily.
However, with nearly six hundred Potential Points as a foundation, Kurozawa was still full of confidence.
After following the white-haired Demon for about another half hour, they arrived at a place where the trees were unusually lush. Nestled between several large trees, each thick enough for several people to embrace, stood a small wooden house.
And in front of the door, a small boy, looking frail and quiet, stood at the entrance.
Kurozawa and the small boy noticed each other.
After a simple glance at Kurozawa, the small boy looked at the white-haired Demon and spoke in a low but unusually calm tone, "Mother, we have a guest. Why didn't you tell me beforehand?"
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