Zenitsu's Battle and Shinobu's Arrival
While Tanjiro, Kanami, and Inosuke dealt with the muscular threats, Zenitsu was led away by his own fear and the scent of a demon. He stumbled upon the spider-infested brother of the family, facing the horrifying transformation of the venom.
Kanami and Tanjiro were briefly reunited with Zenitsu, who had already fallen into his unconscious, powerful state, using the First Form of Thunder Breathing to decapitate the spider-brother. However, the venom had already taken its toll, and Zenitsu was rapidly shrinking and turning into a spider.
Just as the horror set in, a flurry of pink and green appeared. Shinobu Kocho, the Insect Hashira, arrived with the Demon Slayer medical team.
"My, my," Shinobu chirped, her tone deceptively sweet as she surveyed the chaos. "A little too much fun, were we? Don't worry, little one. I'll save you."
The medical team quickly stabilized Zenitsu and began the arduous process of detoxification. Shinobu's presence freed Giyu Tomioka to focus entirely on the core conflict.
Giyu's Vigil: The Core of the Spider Web
Giyu Tomioka moved silently through the trees, his presence hidden. He located the central conflict: a young demon with white thread-like hair, emanating a cold, terrifying power. Rui, Lower Rank Five.
Giyu focused his observation on the two boys fighting him: Tanjiro and the anomaly, Kanami, who wore the ridiculous golden mask.
(Giyu's POV)
The masked one, Kanami, is fighting with the overwhelming aura.. He moves too fast, too strong, and his sword carries the stench of devouring demons. He is far stronger than the boy, but he is intentionally holding back, only intervening when the Tanjiro boy is in direct, lethal danger. His movements are too efficient; he is following a calculated plan. Why does he hides his strength?
Giyu decided to wait. He knew his presence would shatter the demons' composure, but he needed to see the full extent of Kanami's threat, and more importantly, Tanjiro's capabilities.
Rui's Threads: The Moment of Breakthrough
Tanjiro, Nezuko (out of the box), and Kanami were all fighting Rui. Rui's threads were dense, sharp, and almost invisible, forcing them to fight constantly on the defensive.
Tanjiro was pinned down, struggling to breathe. He saw a quick flash of his father's dance, Hinokami Kagura.
(Tanjiro's Flashback)
The cold, the dancing fire, the deep, steady breathing of his father performing the ritual... "Breathe, Tanjiro! Breathe deep!"
Rui tightened the threads, threatening to decapitate Tanjiro. Kanami, seeing the system alert flash, moved instantly.
> SYSTEM (Mission): Protect the Protagonist (Tanjiro) from Lethal Harm.
Kanami: He used Heavenly Demonic Devouring, Form 3: Soul Cleansing Veil, swirling through the threads to deliver a perfect counter-slice, diverting the razor-sharp string away from Tanjiro's neck.
"Tanjiro, NOW!" Kanami yelled.
The memory snapped into focus. Tanjiro felt the shift in his breathing.
Tanjiro: Hinokami Kagura: Clear Blue Sky!
At the same instant, Nezuko awakened her power. Blood Demon Art: Exploding Blood!
The combined attack was beautiful and devastating. The threads exploded in flames, and Tanjiro's fiery new technique sliced through Rui's neck.
The Plot Changes: Rui's Evolution
Tanjiro collapsed, believing the fight was over. Kanami, however, saw the horror unfold.
Rui's severed head rapidly re-attached itself. The wound knitted together instantly, and the Lower Rank Five demon stood taller, his power doubling, the air around him crackling with lethal energy.
Rui: "I am not weak enough to be killed by that. You've made me stronger. Now, you all die."
The threads that shot out were thicker than piano wire, faster than sound, leaving no room for the exhausted Tanjiro and Nezuko to move.
> SYSTEM (Mission Change): CRITICAL: Eliminate the Threat.
> Goal: Kill the Enhanced Rui before the Hashira intervenes.
> Reward: Upgrade Heavenly Devouring Breathing, Form 1,2, & 3 (???? Blade)
>
Kanami felt a surge of cold terror. His earlier struggles with Kyogai had left him weakened, and he had exhausted his current reservoir of Devouring energy.
Kanami: "I need more power, or we all die here. Where is that map?"
Kanami's eyes scanned the terrain. His Luck (9) was working overtime, guiding his focus.
> SYSTEM (Prompt): Map Location: 6 steps at 10 degrees North of target.
>
Kanami launched himself into a wild, evasive sprint, utilizing Form 3: Soul Cleansing Veil to dodge the onslaught of Rui's threads. One step, two steps, three, he tumbled toward the base of an ancient cedar tree.
He saw a faint, violet glow emanating from the exposed root system. With a desperate swipe of his hand, he touch the glowing point.
> SYSTEM (Acquired): Twin Blade: Heaven's Judgement acquired.
>
Kanami drew the second sword: a beautiful white blade with veins of red electrical pattern running through the purple steel. A chain was affixed to the end of the hilt. The carving near the grip read: "Heaven's Judgement."
The Final Form and Rui's Doom
Giyu, watching from the shadows, saw Rui's power spike to a terrifying new level. He was about to move when he saw Kanami, pulling a second, white sword from the ground, his already immense aura surging to something monstrous.
Kanami was transformed. He held Heaven's Devour (Black/Purple) and Heaven's Judgement (White/Purple). The Devouring blade was for power; the Judgement blade was for speed and paralysis.
> SYSTEM (Devouring Points): Blood Devoured. Devouring Points: 30 DP.
> SYSTEM (Confirmation): Unlocking Heavenly Devouring Breathing, Form 4: Twin Dragons Ascendant (Cost: 20 DP). Devouring Points: 10.
>
Form 4 was an integrated dual-wielding technique. Kanami shot toward Rui, moving too fast for the demon to track.
Kanami: Heavenly Devouring Breathing, Form 4: Twin Dragons Ascendant!
The speed was unbelievable. The black and white blades became a terrifying, spinning vortex. Rui's body was instantly overwhelmed. Kanami cut the demon into six pieces, both arms, both legs, the torso, and the now-vulnerable neck, all severed in the span of a single breath.
The Demon's body dissolved into ash. Rui was dead.
Kanami collapsed to his knees, his twin blades digging into the earth, utterly exhausted but victorious.
Giyu, who had been poised to intervene, slowly lowered his own hand. "That power... he defeated a self-evolving Lower Moon in an instant. He is not a mere slayer. He is something else entirely."
Kanami's mission was complete. He watched as the exhausted but kind-hearted Tanjiro crawled to Rui's side, placing a comforting hand on the dissolving remains, offering the dead demon the peace and compassion he had never received in life, just as the original story dictated.
The timeline had been drastically changed, but the heart of the protagonist remained intact.