The forest at night was chillingly cold. The moonlight cast a silver glow upon everything, creating a silence that was unsettling. The only sound was the occasional whisper of the wind rustling the leaves. Other than that, there wasn't even the cry of an animal.
As Si Shu ventured deeper into the forest, a pungent smell began to fill the air.
The smell of blood.
He stopped abruptly, carefully sniffing the air.
This scent... it's human blood. And from more than one person.
His brow furrowed in confusion. The men from the town shouldn't be entering the forest at night, so where was the smell of human blood coming from? With his questions growing, Si Shu had no choice but to continue running in the direction of the scent.
One step, two steps...
As the distance shortened, the smell of blood in the air grew stronger. Gradually, he also began to hear the roars and agonized cries of humans.
Closer... even closer.
After vaulting over several large trees, a huge clearing appeared before his eyes. With a single leap, Si Shu entered the battlefield.
At the sight of this sudden intruder, the gazes of both factions on the field instantly focused on him.
One was a grotesque demon with a savage face and murderous eyes, currently in the act of slaughtering humans.
The others were a group of Demon Slayer Corps members, covered in injuries, their breathing ragged as they fought desperately to resist.
"Hm, so there are Demon Slayers here," Si Shu noted. "Wait... why are Demon Slayers here?!"
He was surprised, not understanding why members of the Corps would be in this place. He had assumed he would find ordinary people who had been abducted by the demon, not fellow Slayers.
"Did someone steal my kill?"
The moment this thought popped into his head, Si Shu felt the ground beneath his feet shift. Alarm bells screamed in his mind, warning him of a terrifying attack. The muscles in his legs exploded with power as he stomped hard on the ground. Using the recoil, his body shot backward through the air.
At the same instant, a thick tree branch erupted from the earth, shooting more than two meters into the air. One could only imagine the consequences if he hadn't dodged in time.
"So, this demon's attack method really is controlling things like tree vines."
Landing with a clean backflip, Si Shu confirmed one of his earlier theories. It was then that he noticed something strange about the demon's appearance. Its upper body was relatively normal, that of a young man in his twenties, though he had long since lost his human features. His dark green skin was covered in vine-like objects, making him look like an ancient tree spirit. His lower body was gone entirely, fused directly into a large tree. Because it was locked to the tree, the demon could only move within a certain range.
While Si Shu was observing the Tree Spirit Demon, the demon also noticed that there was something different about Si Shu. It had originally assumed this seven-or-eight-year-old was just a lost child who had wandered into the forest. But now, it seemed things weren't so simple. Anyone who could so easily dodge its attack was no nameless nobody.
Not only was the Tree Spirit Demon shocked, but even the injured Demon Slayers stared with wide eyes when they saw Si Shu's evasion. That was the same move that had killed five of their comrades, yet this young child had dodged it completely unscathed.
Taking advantage of the brief lull, Si Shu called out to the Demon Slayers. "Why is the Demon Slayer Corps here?"
Although they were confused, since the boy knew of the Demon Slayer Corps, there was no need to hide anything. A male slayer with a severed arm clutched his wound, his face pale as he answered, "The Corps already knew about the rumors here. A scouting party was sent before. We're the team responsible for exterminating the demon in this place!"
At this, Si Shu understood. The "strange people" the shopkeeper had mentioned were most likely the Demon Slayer scouting party. With the full story clear, he analyzed the battlefield situation again. As things stood, the Demon Slayer members could barely protect themselves. Five people: two with severed arms, one with a broken leg, and the remaining two gasping for air.
Their defense is failing. The only option is to go on the offensive!
Just then, the Tree Spirit Demon attacked before Si Shu could. This time, it came from above. With the creaking sound of rubbing wood, countless branches wove themselves into a giant net that came crashing down on Si Shu and the others. It seemed the demon intended to wipe them all out in a single blow.
"Die! All of you, become my food!" the Tree Spirit Demon roared, its dark green face filled with a bloodthirsty expression.
Seeing the net rushing toward them, the faces of the Slayers turned deathly pale. One of them even gave up resisting entirely, his Nichirin Sword falling from his hand to the ground.
Whoosh—
As the net enveloped them, casting an overwhelming pressure, the Demon Slayers closed their eyes in despair. Just when they thought they were dead for sure, a calm voice rang out.
"Player swap."
In the next instant, Si Shu's figure vanished from its spot. What vanished with him was the Nichirin Sword that the slayer had dropped on the ground.
Total Concentration, Sun Breathing... Fifth Form: Fire Wheel!
A brilliant, fiery red light flared to life, transforming in the next moment into a flaming, semi-circular slash. The slash flew out and slammed directly into the net of branches.
Squelch!
Like a sharp knife piercing through paper, the fiery slash effortlessly tore the branch net to shreds. The once-dense net disintegrated into a shower of broken twigs that scattered in the air.
"What?!"
The Tree Spirit Demon's eyes widened in sheer disbelief. It couldn't believe that this eight-year-old child had destroyed its signature move with a single strike.
"Impossible! This is impossible! That lord said I was one of his most valued subordinates!" the Tree Spirit Demon shrieked, its words filled with rage and resentment.
"That lord?"
Noticing the key phrase, Si Shu's heart skipped a beat. Could this demon be one of Muzan's specially noted subordinates?
His expression shifted slightly as he decided to alter his battle plan. If possible, he would try to capture this Tree Spirit Demon alive. The chances were slim, but he might be able to get information on Kibutsuji Muzan.
He hefted the Nichirin Sword in his hand, a look of slight regret on his face. "This feels good. I really need to get my own Nichirin Sword."
Seeing Si Shu ignore it so casually, the already enraged demon finally snapped. The veins on its forehead bulged, and cracking sounds echoed from all over its body.
"You're just a little kid! Don't you dare look down on me!" the demon roared, its mouth wide open to reveal its sharp fangs.
"It's not like you count as human anymore, either," Si Shu retorted instinctively.
"...Huh?"
A moment of stunned silence was followed by an even more frenzied retaliation from the Tree Spirit Demon. Clearly, he had lost his composure.
"DIE!"
Countless branches began to move, writhing in the air like a swarm of earthworms. The canopy above them was pulled back, revealing the open sky as starlight and moonlight poured down onto the battlefield. Illuminated below were Si Shu, the injured slayers, and over a thousand whipping vines.
This Tree Spirit Demon could control this many trees at once.
"Let's see how you like being strangled to death!" the Tree Spirit Demon bellowed, the fire in its eyes looking as if it could burn Si Shu to a crisp. With a wave of its hand, the suspended branches instantly transformed into hunting pythons, lashing out toward Si Shu and the Demon Slayers. If the previous net was meant to trap them, this attack was purely for slaughter.
Facing the overwhelming assault, a smile of a triumphant strategist appeared on Si Shu's face. He slipped his backpack off his shoulders and kicked it straight into the approaching mass of branches.
The next moment, a brilliant crimson light lit up the night sky.