Breaking out of the eerie woods, the road suddenly opened up in front of you.
Zenitsu finally ran out of the densely populated area and came to an open space in the forest.
He thought he could breathe a sigh of relief, but as soon as he raised his head, the scene in front of him made him even more frightened, and he wanted to faint immediately.
The moon hangs high in the sky, and under the pale moonlight are figures hanging in mid-air by spider silk.
This is not an open space, but a certain ghost's lair.
The dilapidated wooden house was hung by spider silk in the middle of the open space, and gleaming eyes could be vaguely seen in the dark room.
Looking at the figures hanging in mid-air, Zenitsu stopped thinking.
"What is that? Is it human?"
Zenitsu's eyes were full of fear of what was in front of him.
Because he has never seen such a scene.
Most of the figures hanging in mid-air have lost their human form, and their bodies are changing into the shape of a spider.
The pungent stench is unbearable for people like him whose noses are not very sensitive.
"Did someone come to the door again?"
A cold voice came from the dilapidated house hanging upside down in mid-air.
A ghost with a spider body and a human head slowly hung upside down from the house. The silk threads spewed from its tail made him hang in the air like a spider. With a teasing smile on his face, he was trembling with fear as he looked at the ground.
The good deeds.
"Ghost...ghost!!!!!"
Zenitsu screamed when he saw the spider-like ghost in front of him.
What a big spider, it was a monster! Without thinking much, he turned around and ran away.
"Hehehe~ There's no point running away, you're already finished!"
Oni looked at Zenitsu's running back with a dark smile.
This stupid human had fallen into his trap before in the woods.
Those spiders that cover the forest are his weapons, and he will be finished if he is bitten once.
"Don't talk to me! I'm scared! I hate monsters like you!"
Zenitsu continued running without looking back.
"Look at your own hands. I told you that you are finished~"
The spider-like ghost laughed at Zenitsu who was just trying to escape.
After being reminded, Zenitsu finally noticed something strange about his body.
He looked at his left hand, which had become ulcerated and swollen with fear, where he had been pricked by something in the woods just now.
"What...what is this!? What happened to my hand!"
"It's poison~"
The ghost hanging upside down in the air laughed and explained, "You were bitten by my spider in the woods, right? This is the poison that will slowly turn you into a spider~becoming like them~"
As he spoke, he stretched out his downy spider front paws to shake the Demon Slayer Swordsman who was hanging in the air and had changed into a human shape.
"In less than half an hour, you will lie down on the ground and become my slave! You can run away if you want, but exercise will only speed up the spread of the toxin. Hahahahaha!"
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!"
Zenitsu was so frightened that he screamed, "Will I become like them?"
He looked in horror at the spiders with human faces that were surrounding him on the ground at some point.
These spiders were originally supposed to be humans, but now they have become slaves controlled by that ghost.
Zenitsu shook his head wildly, then started running away.
But just like what this ghost said, the more he moves, the faster the poison spreads. Now he can even clearly feel the strangeness in his body.
"I told you that running away is useless~"
"no no no!"
Zenitsu screamed and shouted, "I don't want to listen to you!"
He climbed up the tree in panic, hugging the trunk as if seeking comfort.
"I don't want it, I don't want it, I don't want it to be like that!"
Zenitsu could not help but tremble, and his heart was filled with fear.
He hasn't gotten a girlfriend yet, and no one likes him in the first place. Wouldn't it be even more tragic if he turned into that ugly guy again?
"There's no need to be in such a hurry, right?"
The ghost looked at Zenitsu's trembling look with some confusion, "If you just wait for the poison to spread slowly, you can have more time~ Wouldn't it be nice to become my slave without any pain like this?
?”
"Shut up, shut up!"
Zenitsu covered his ears and didn't want to listen to this ghost's nonsense.
But his hearing was so good that even if he covered his ears with his hands, he could still hear the whispers that frightened him.
"Grandpa...Grandpa, help me! I don't want to die like this..."
"What's going on with this kid..."
The spider ghost scratched his head with his downy front paws and looked at Zenitsu, who was hugging the tree trunk, speechlessly.
This was the first time he had seen such a cowardly Demon Slayer swordsman. Before the fight even started, he was already begging his grandpa to sue his grandma. It was really shameful.
"It's really boring."
He gave a gentle signal and directed the slaves who had turned into spiders to climb up the tree where Zenitsu was.
This human being is so boring and noisy that he will suffer if he gets tired from being disturbed.
So it's better to become a spider quickly.
Zenitsu trembled and looked at the spider with a human face that was climbing up the tree. Wouldn't it become faster if he was bitten twice more?
"Don't come up! Can you let me go? I just want to wait quietly for death alone!"
Zenitsu grabbed his hair frantically, hugged his head and cried.
Golden hair kept falling off his head.
This made him feel even more frightened.
"It's over... it's over!"
Zenitsu looked at the handfuls of hair in his hand, thinking that he would soon become bald and eventually turn into a spider-like monster, and he fainted in an instant.
"Huh...huh..."
Even breathing came from his mouth, and Zenitsu's whole body hung precariously on the branch.
"What happened to this kid? He fainted from fright?"
Oni is a little confused. This is the first time he has seen the swordsman of the Demon Slayer Corps who will be frightened and faint when he sees a ghost. Isn't this too cowardly?
Zenitsu's shaky figure finally lost his balance and fell from the tree trunk.
He was about three or four meters away from the ground, and he fell headfirst. If he fell to the ground like this, his head would probably explode.
Even this ghost looked so embarrassed that he couldn't stand Zenitsu anymore.
This was probably the first time he had seen such a useless ghost hunter. If he fell to death like this, he would not even be qualified to become his slave.
"Get down here quickly!"
After falling asleep, Shan Shan felt that he had had a very long dream, and in the dream was his grandfather's shouting.
He was also hugging a tree and shivering.
Under the tree stood an old man with only one leg and a cane.
His name is Kuwashima Jigoro, he is the one who took Zenitsu in, he is Zenitsu's master, and he is also his most beloved 'grandfather'.
"Don't cry! Don't run away! Such actions are completely meaningless!"
Kuwashima Jigoro sternly scolded the black-haired boy who was hugging the tree trunk and crying bitterly.
The former Zenitsu actually had short black hair.
"No! No! You will die!" Zenitsu closed his eyes and hugged the tree trunk, refusing to come down even if he beat him to death.
"How can this little practice kill people?"
Kuwashima Jigoro, whose legs and feet are not very flexible, looked helplessly at Zenitsu on the tree, "Come down quickly! You idiot!"
"Grandpa! Let me go!" Shanyi cried bitterly and begged for mercy, "I love you most, Grandpa!"
"Call me Master!"
Kuwashima Jigoro's face turned red, he stomped the cane in his hand and scolded.
"No matter how you act like a baby, it's useless! Come down quickly and continue training!"
"But I can't do it!"
Shanyi closed his eyes tightly and cried, his tears filled with unwillingness.
He really respects and likes grandpa very much.
It was his grandfather who saved him when he borrowed money from various places to run away with other men in order to raise money for the woman he loved and ran away with other men.
He also wanted to respond to Kuwashima Jigoro's expectations, but he really had no talent.
He once practiced more on his own behind his grandfather's back, training until he fell asleep without realizing it. But no matter how hard he trained, he could not learn any moves other than the "Thunder Breath" type.
Before meeting Kuwashima Jigoro, he was no one loved, no one loved him, and was worthless. This was probably the life of Zenitsu.
Finally, he found someone who was truly good to him, and of course he wanted to do his best to respond to his grandfather.
But this world is so unfair, and Zenitsu seems destined to have no talent.
He hated himself for being so incompetent. He always felt that he was a timid and fearful crybaby who always ran away from battle.
But he still kept trying.
In order to respond to his grandfather's expectations for him.
"boom--"
Light pierced the sky, followed by shocking thunder.
The lightning struck Zenitsu impartially, just like fate.
The black-haired boy fell from a height with his head facing the ground.
The lightning disappeared, and the short black hair gradually turned into a bright golden color.
"The breath of thunder, the shape of one, the flash of thunder."
The sound of the knife was like thunder.
Along with the pale golden sword light, Zenitsu's Nichirin sword was unsheathed.
The ghost hanging upside down in mid-air jumped at the sudden thunder.
He watched in amazement as the frightened boy pulled out the golden Nichirin sword strangely.
Roll, slash, land.
The spiders surrounding Zenitsu were killed in an instant.
"bass--"
The sword is drawn out and retracted almost instantly, and the whole movement is done smoothly and smoothly.
Zenitsu lowered his eyes and stood silently under the tree. His whole figure was like a gloomy thundercloud, ready to explode at any time.
It would be difficult for anyone to connect this figure with the boy who just ran away after crying bitterly.
"This kid...what's going on?"
The spider ghost looked at the silent young man with his eyes closed tightly, his brows furrowed.
The aura exuded by this young man at this moment is completely different from before.
"tread--"
Just when he was doubtful, Zenitsu had already grasped the hilt of the knife again and leaped into the air.
"Tsk——"
Although he had some doubts in his heart, Spider Ghost did not sit still and wait for death.
Spot poisonous phlegm.
Strong corrosive phlegm spurted out from his mouth and headed towards the young man who leaped into the air.
This is a poison that can melt the human body instantly.
However, his poisonous attack did not hit the boy in mid-air as expected.
Zenitsu's eyes were still closed, and the expression on his face remained unchanged. The wind roared, and his ears moved slightly.
Facing the poisonous attack, Zenitsu's figure quickly curled up and rolled over. Even though his eyes were closed, he still perfectly dodged the sudden attack.
"tread--"
Facing the continuous attacks, Zenitsu's expression remained unchanged as he dodged the attacks and landed. He still looked like he was sleeping.
The breathing sound in his mouth was very even, not at all like the breathing of a poisoned person.
Stepping forward silently, Shan Yi's body was bent low, like a tight bow, waiting for the moment to leave the string.
"呲——"
The friction of the soles of the feet left deep marks on the ground.
Breath of Thunder, Shape of One, Thunderbolt...
"Don't even think about it!"
The spider ghost's expression became even more solemn when he saw this scene.
The boy's sudden change made him feel a little scared.
"Come with me!"
As he shouted angrily, all the spiders hiding nearby appeared and rushed towards Zenitsu.
Zenitsu's movements were interrupted, but his speed was so fast that he would not be entangled by these spiders. He moved his feet slightly, easily dodged the attacks of these spiders, and assumed the Izukata posture again.
Looking at Zenitsu's stance, Spider Ghost seemed to have discovered a clue.
"This kid... only knows this one trick?"
The same stance was repeated three times. Who would be stupid enough to keep attacking with one move? An ugly smile appeared on his face.
Another mouthful of venom spurted out from his mouth.
······
Zenitsu, who had fallen asleep, had no idea what was happening at this moment.
He just felt like he was dreaming.
A very happy dream.
In the dream, he was very strong, powerful enough to protect anyone.
All the efforts were not in vain.
In the dream, he is a hero.
But Zenitsu actually knew very well that this was just a dream.
The real him is still the timid crybaby.
He has no parents, so he has never been expected by anyone.
Everyone around him has always looked down upon him, even his small extravagances such as wanting to help others with his own efforts, or spending his life protecting someone and making her happy are looked down upon.
Once he fails or escapes, everyone will think, 'Ah, this loser is hopeless' and distance themselves from him.
But there is only one person who is different.
His grandfather, Kuwashima Jigoro.
No matter how many times this person would scold him loudly and tirelessly.
"Don't cry, don't run away!"
Although he was passive at first, with his grandfather's encouragement, Zenitsu persevered.
He knew that he could not become the hero in his fantasy, and the only thing he could do was to persevere.
It doesn't matter if he can't learn other sword skills besides Ichi-kata, because his grandfather told him that this is all he needs.
If you can only practice one of them, then train it to the extreme with your whole heart.
Concentrate wholeheartedly, just like you would treat your lover.
It doesn’t matter whether you cry or get hurt, but you won’t give up.
Do something to the best of your ability.
Concentrate and reach the top!
"The breath of thunder, the shape of one, the flash of thunder, the sixth chain."