At this moment, Shin Arashi had ventured deeper into the mountain. As he continued, his eyes locked onto a strange cluster on his mini-map—a red zone unlike any he had seen before.
Upon closer inspection, he realized it wasn't just a red area—it was countless red dots, packed so tightly together they appeared like a solid mass.
It was clearly unusual. If the map was accurate, then nearly every demon on Mount Fujikasane. had converged in one place.
But why? Why would all the demons suddenly gather like that?
As he observed, Shin noticed the red dots were moving—fast. They weren't just gathering. They were chasing something.
"It seems I have to go check this out," Shin muttered, narrowing his eyes. Without hesitation, he broke into a sprint toward the red zone.
Halfway there, Shin came across several panicked boys—the same ones he had saved earlier. They were fleeing in terror.
Seeing Shin appear in front of them, wearing his signature fox mask, the boys skidded to a stop.
They recognized him immediately.
"Senior Shin Arashi!" one of them cried. "Tanjiro—your junior brother—he's in danger! A massive group of demons surrounded him! You have to save him!"
That was all Shin needed to hear.
Without a word, he vanished—a blur of motion, heading straight toward the chaos.
Meanwhile, Tanjiro had just reached Zenitsu and was trying to lift him when the demon horde descended.
The boy with the sprained ankle, lying next to Zenitsu, clenched his teeth and looked up at Tanjiro. His voice was calm, even in the face of death.
"Forget us! Run! You'll die too if you stay!"
But Tanjiro didn't even pause.
He couldn't leave them behind.
He surged forward to protect them—but he was still a moment too late.
The wave of demons crashed down over Zenitsu and the injured boy.
"No!!!" Tanjiro shouted, his voice breaking with despair.
Then—lightning.
A flash of yellow surged through the darkness, and the tide of demons was blasted back as if struck by a bolt from the heavens.
Tanjiro's eyes widened.
Standing there, amid the scattered corpses, was Zenitsu Agatsuma—his body crackling faintly with electricity. His eyes were closed, his expression serene, as if he were still dreaming.
The demons regrouped and lunged again.
Zenitsu exhaled slowly.
"Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunderclap and Flash."
The words left his lips in a whisper.
Then—he vanished.
A streak of golden light tore through the air.
Every demon that had leapt at him fell in silence—cut down in an instant.
Tanjiro stood frozen in awe. Even the boy on the ground was too shocked to speak.
Who would have imagined that the cowardly, trembling Zenitsu harboured such terrifying power?
But the moment didn't last. The demon horde was endless.
Tanjiro snapped back into focus.
Zenitsu couldn't handle this alone.
He rushed to Zenitsu's side, gritting his teeth.
"Water Breathing—Form of the Wild: Wave Strike!"
With a cry, Tanjiro joined the fray, striking in the brief openings Zenitsu's lightning left behind.
Together, the two slashed through the darkness—water and thunder crashing like a storm.
But would it be enough?