The Demon Slayer Corps members who had entered Spider Mountain were meant to hunt demons.
Instead, before they could even see the true forms of their prey, several suddenly drew their blades—and attacked their comrades.
Friends who had once fought side by side now turned on one another, and almost half of the intruding Corps members were slaughtered before they could even understand what was happening.
The survivors… were those who had been forced to kill their own companions.
Bound by the Spider Mother's sinister control, one of them, now conscious but unable to move freely, hoped desperately that Ren Kuroda would end his suffering quickly. He couldn't bear the thought of killing his own comrades.
But Ren did not comply.
Not only did he have no habit of killing his own people, he also disliked following someone else's script. Cutting down every controlled member would have only satisfied the Spider Mother's cruel intentions.
"Your consciousness has returned," Ren said calmly, moving fluidly through their attacks,"but your body is still under someone else's control. Does this mean the method is physical rather than mental?"
"If it's physical… it's simpler than I thought," he muttered. "Remote physical control usually requires a medium."
As the controlled members lunged at him, Ren's keen eyes began tracking the unnatural movements of their limbs.
Within moments, the truth became clear: they were bound by thread-like wires, invisible yet strong enough to bend their bodies like puppets.
Ren drew his sword without hesitation.
With a few sharp strikes—thud, thud, thud—the threads were severed. The Demon Slayers crumpled to the forest floor, limp as marionettes whose strings had been cut.
On a jagged rock above, a stunning woman with pale, silvery hair froze. Panic flashed across her face as she saw the threads snap under Ren's blade.
The Spider Mother had already sensed him entering the mountain. She had planned to use her manipulative Blood Demon Art to control the Demon Slayer Corps members, killing Ren with their bodies if necessary.
But when she attempted the same tactic on this single intruder, something unexpected happened.
The controlled Corps members, who had once easily overwhelmed other opponents, failed to subdue him.
One by one, the threads snapped.
And through the eyes of the countless spiders she had scattered across the forest, she saw him advancing—swift as the wind.
Her Blood Demon Art was potent: she could attach tiny spiders to flesh, controlling both the living and the dead. Even corpses could be puppets under her silk.
Yet her personal combat ability was ordinary at best.
Judging by this demon slayer's speed, power, and control, if he reached her, she would almost certainly perish.
The Spider Mother made a split-second decision to retreat and relocate the fight.
But the thought of letting him pass freely—only to risk punishment from her so-called "family"—made her body tremble with fear.
Before she could fully act, Ren Kuroda closed the distance, moving through the dense forest in a blur. Small spiders attempting to latch onto him were casually crushed beneath his speed.
As she prepared to flee, he appeared before her, blocking her path.
"I never expected the one who wiped out the entire Demon Slayer Corps to be… someone like you," Ren said, eyes narrowing in measured surprise.
The Spider Mother's form was deceptive. Pale skin, human-like features, and a beauty that could rival the most stunning human—yet beneath it all, a lethal presence lingered.
Seeing Ren appear so quickly, panic etched her features. But she had no choice. Retreat was impossible, and this opponent clearly had no intention of letting her leave alive. With a trembling inhale, she raised her hands in attack stance.
Ren, in stark contrast, immediately appeared bored.
"I assumed a demon capable of wiping out multiple Demon Slayer Corps squads would be formidable—at least a Lower Moon, maybe even Upper Moon. Turns out… you're just a slightly different kind of demon."
He had expected a greater challenge; she wasn't one of the Twelve Demon Moons he had been hunting.
Each of those elite demons bore a number in their eyes, a mark of distinction. This fiery young woman, however, had only simple green pupils—no number, no rank.
"The Twelve Demon Moons… your strength may exceed that of ordinary Demon Slayer Corps members," he continued, voice calm, "but to claim yourself as their enemy is beyond arrogant."
The Spider Mother's body shuddered at the name, recalling the overwhelming power of those legendary demons.
She knew she had to act—fast. If she did not neutralize this intruder, her fate would be unimaginable.
Frantically, she tugged at her silk threads. The ground quaked as a massive figure erupted from the forest, charging at Ren with terrifying speed.
The Spider Mother's Blood Demon Art could control both living beings and corpses. Now, she had seized control of a gigantic headless corpse, its enormous physique hinting at a once-powerful demon before its head had been severed.
And it was coming straight for Ren Kuroda.