Actually, the current name of the Spider Mother was now Spider Princess, because when she became a demon, she had completely forgotten her original name. She also seemed resistant to being called "Spider Mother," so Ren Kuroda—terrible at naming things as he was—simply gave her the title Spider Princess. The logic was simple: she was a spider and a woman.
He expected protest. Surprisingly, the Spider Princess seemed quite satisfied with the name.
"My lord," she asked, following closely behind him in her human form, her expression a mix of curiosity and lingering uncertainty, "are you searching for the Twelve Demon Moons to bring them under your command?"
Previously, she had assumed that Ren had come to Mount Natagumo to hunt the Twelve Demon Moons to kill them. But now, after learning that Ren possessed the ability to transform demons into monsters, she assumed his purpose was to subdue the Twelve Demon Moons instead.
Her thinking wasn't surprising. Even someone as weak as she had been recruited by her lord; surely, he wouldn't ignore the powerful Twelve Demon Moons.
Ren's next words, however, surprised her—though not without causing a spark of joy.
"My purpose in seeking the Twelve Demon Moons isn't to recruit them," he said. "It's to eliminate them. And I don't want just anyone. Those who might turn on me at any moment—even if I helped them shed their demonic status—would only waste my inferior demonic energy crystals. In this world, I probably won't be transforming any other demons for the time being, so you're likely my only one."
Each "inferior demonic energy crystal" only cost ten reputation points, but the quantities required were enormous. Ren used them liberally whenever facing a powerful enemy. Transforming an entire army of demons here would drain his reserves entirely. And, as he said, he didn't want just anyone. Unlike Muzan Kibutsuji, who had absolute control over his demons, Ren could not dominate the creatures he transformed. A particularly rebellious one could betray him—rendering the effort pointless.
Why, then, had he chosen Spider Princess? There were several reasons. One was to test his earlier assumptions. Another was her personality and current circumstances, which made her an ideal candidate. Of course, her appearance helped too. Ren wasn't a pervert, but he wasn't oblivious: visual presence matters. If you recruit someone to fight by your side, they should at least look capable and commanding.
Spider Princess, however, interpreted it completely differently.
"My lord said I'm his only one in this world…" she murmured, her heart swelling.
She exhaled in relief at the thought. Previously, as "mother" of the spider family, she had always been bullied. If Ren had subdued the entire spider clan, her status might not have changed. But now, knowing he was cautious about letting uncontrolled monsters go free, she swore silently to herself that she would never betray him.
Before Ren even finished explaining that she was his only chosen subordinate in this world, Spider Princess was already lost in daydreams.
My lord protected me so bravely before… and now he says I'm the only one in this world. Could it be… he feels the same way about me?
If Ren knew what she was thinking, he would have probably choked on his own blood. His words had been completely misinterpreted.
"There's fighting ahead," Ren said, voice low and tense. "It seems Tanjiro and the others have entered Spider Mountain too. We wasted too much time."
Hearing the sounds of combat, he kicked off the ground, his body shooting toward the chaos in an instant. Helping Spider Princess complete her transformation had taken far too long. Now that they had a trace of one of the Twelve Demon Moons, if Tanjiro and his companions reached them first, Ren would have no one to blame but himself.
Spider Princess, flustered and reluctantly pulled out of her fantasies, followed behind. The clash of steel and the screams of battle had destroyed all her dreams of a peaceful future with her lord—at least, for now.
When Ren arrived, he saw Tanjiro and his friends locked in battle against three grotesque demons of varying forms.
One demon had the head of a boy but the body of a spider, relentlessly spitting venom at Zenitsu.
The largest demon, with a human body and a spider's head, was likely the strongest, holding its ground against Tanjiro and Inosuke without showing weakness. Its thick skin even resisted the strike of their Nichirin Blades.
The last demon was a young girl, eerily reminiscent of Spider Princess herself, standing off to the side, observing the fight.
Tanjiro and his companions were at a severe disadvantage: injured and outmatched, while the three demons appeared untouched.
Ren drew his Nichirin Blade, preparing to intervene. Behind him, Spider Princess caught up, her expression determined.
"My lord," she said, her voice resolute, "none of these demons are the Twelve Demon Moons you seek. I can sense they've been observing the area from nearby. Leave them to me. Focus on defeating our main target."
Watching the massive figure overwhelm Tanjiro and Inosuke, Spider Princess's expression darkened with resentment. These so-called "family" members had only ever inspired fear and hatred in her.
Once powerless and bullied, she was now entirely different.
Seeing her determination and assessing the battlefield, Ren leaped decisively, his body shooting in the direction Spider Princess had indicated, ready to confront the true threat.