Demon Slayer: Tanjiro becomes a ghost, Nezuko becomes a pillar!

Chapter 99 Insect Pillar Shinobu Kocho

Before that cold and indifferent voice had faded away, a gentle breeze swept through the forest.

Giyu Tomioka appeared in front of Tanjiro and Nezuko as if by teleportation. His heterochromatic haori fluttered in the wind, and his Nichirin Blade gleamed with a clear, pale blue light. The blade did not move, but layers of water surged around him.

"Water Breathing - Eleventh Form - Nagi".

The moment the words left his mouth, the water suddenly spread out, transforming into an invisible barrier that completely enveloped Tanjiro and Nezuko.

Rena's Blood Demon Art: Scrolling Wheel, imbued with endless resentment, crashed into the water barrier with deadly poison and strangulation power, only to be instantly calmed like a raging torrent hitting a rock.

Those wildly spinning dark red threads lost their strength the moment they touched the water.

As if all their life force had been drained, they collapsed to the ground, and the black and red poisonous light quickly dimmed.

In the end, it turned into harmless ashes, which were blown away by the wind and disappeared without a trace.

The fierce wind in the forest subsided abruptly because of this move, leaving only the soft sound of flowing water.

Exhausted, his head was fixed on the figure in the strangely colored haori, his scarlet eyes churning with extreme resentment and bitterness.

He mustered his last bit of ghostly energy to launch another attack, but his body had already begun to turn transparent.

He wanted to scream, but it all turned into a desperate sob.

The head and body disintegrated simultaneously, turning into dust that was swept up by the forest wind and completely disappeared among the branches and leaves.

Tanjiro stood frozen in place, holding Nezuko in his arms. His sister's breathing was steady, but her face was still pale, clearly indicating that she had simply fainted from exhaustion.

But his gaze was fixed on Giyu Tomioka in front of him, with his dark blue hair, cool eyes and brows, and his signature heterochromatic haori.

And that Nichirin Blade gleaming with blue light… Memories flooded back like a tidal wave, striking him instantly.

[It's him! It's that Demon Slayer swordsman who chased me around my house back then!]

Tanjiro's body tensed up suddenly, and his arms around Nezuko tightened instinctively.

Giyu Tomioka slowly turned around, his gaze falling on Nezuko in Tanjiro's arms, his calm face showing no emotion.

There was neither murderous intent nor pity; it was as if he were looking at something insignificant.

His gaze swept over Mi Douzi's pale face and dusty clothes, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly, and he murmured softly.

"Am I too late? This girl died at the hands of a ghost."

His voice was soft, yet it reached Tanjiro's ears clearly. Tanjiro was taken aback at first.

He quickly realized what was happening, and a look of both amusement and anxiety crossed his face.

[Nee-Tozu is dead? How could that be! She was just asleep! Wait… he thinks I'm a ghost!]

Tanjiro hurriedly looked down at Nezuko in his arms, then looked up at Giyuu Tomioka, wanting to explain, but before he could speak...

Then, Giyu Tomioka slowly raised the Nichirin Blade in his hand.

"Let her go, and I'll give you a quick death."

Meanwhile, deep in the woods on the other side.

Spider Sister ran scrambling and stumbling, her face filled with fear and panic. Her clothes were already torn by tree branches, and her body was covered in dust and grass clippings.

"If I find the intruding demon slayers, kill them, and prove my worth, Rui won't kill me anymore... I can do it, I can survive!"

As Spider Sister ran, she frantically chanted in her mind, her eyes filled with the desire to survive.

Just then, two faint voices came from the woods ahead.

Spider Sister was overjoyed and quickly hid behind a tree, peeking out to look.

Not far away, on an open ground, a male and a female member of the Demon Slayer Corps were seen supporting each other as they sat down to rest.

They were both injured, their clothes stained with blood, and their breaths were weak. They were the two that Tanjiro and Inosuke had rescued earlier.

"Great! This is truly a stroke of luck!"

A cruel smile flashed in Spider Sister's eyes. She slowly stood up, moved her fingers, and countless tiny spider silks quietly emerged from her fingertips, glowing with a faint blackish-red light and carrying a deadly poison.

She cautiously approached the two Demon Slayer Corps members, her steps light and almost silent.

Seeing the two of them completely unprepared, Spider Sister's lips curled into a triumphant smile, and she thought to herself.

[So what if you're demon hunters? You're nothing but lambs to the slaughter! By killing you, I can prove my worth to Rui, and I can live on!]

Just as she was about to unleash her Blood Demon Art, using spider silk to entangle and poison the two of them, a graceful figure suddenly landed in front of her like a butterfly.

She was a girl wearing a pink haori and a green skirt, with her long black hair tied in a ponytail with a bow at the end. She had a gentle smile on her face, and her almond-shaped eyes were clear and bright. She looked innocent and carefree, like a forest sprite.

She held a uniquely shaped Nichirin Blade in her hand; the blade was light and shimmered with a faint pink light.

The girl landed in front of the spider sister, tilted her head slightly, a curious smile on her face, and spoke softly.

"Oh dear, oh dear, I've encountered a living ghost!"

Spider Sister was startled by the sudden appearance of the figure and subconsciously took a step back, staring warily at the girl in front of her.

She could feel the powerful aura emanating from the girl, the pressure of a top-tier demon hunter, which made the hairs on her body stand on end.

"Who are you? A swordsman from the Demon Slayer Corps?"

Spider Sister's voice trembled slightly, and the spider silk on her fingertips tightened instantly, ready for battle.

She hadn't expected there to be other demon hunters here, and they seemed so powerful.

The girl didn't answer her question, but maintained her gentle smile, tilted her head slightly, and spoke with a touch of innocence.

"Excuse me, can we be friends?"

This statement completely stunned Spider Sister.

She stared wide-eyed at the girl in front of her, as if she had heard the biggest joke in the world.

Be friends? Be friends with a ghost? This was the most absurd thing she had ever heard since she became a ghost.

"Are you... are you kidding me?" Spider Sister's voice was shrill. "I'm a demon! I'm someone you demon hunters are supposed to kill! And you actually want to be friends with me?"

The girl's smile remained unchanged. She gently shook her head and said earnestly.

"But even ghosts get lonely, right? My name is Shinobu Kocho, what's your name?"

Shinobu's gaze was clear and gentle, without the slightest malice or murderous intent, as if she were simply sincerely asking the name of a new friend.

But this gentle gaze, when it fell upon Spider Sister, filled her with a strange sense of fear.

She could sense that this seemingly gentle girl possessed a power like a tsunami, a power that could easily crush her.

"I...I don't need friends!"

Spider Sister roared, a hint of madness flashing in her eyes.

Before she finished speaking, Spider Sister suddenly raised her hand, and countless strands of highly venomous spider silk shot out from her fingertips, raining down on Shinobu Kocho like a storm.

The spider silk moved at an astonishing speed, tearing through the air with a sharp sound, aiming directly at Shinobu Kocho's vital points, clearly intending to kill her in one blow.

Shinobu's smile remained unchanged. She gently turned to the side, her figure as light as a butterfly, avoiding the attacking spider silk.

Her movements were elegant and agile; every turn and every step she took was like a graceful dance. The poisonous spider silk could not even touch the hem of her clothes.

"How unfriendly!"

Shinobu Kocho said softly, her tone tinged with regret.

Her figure suddenly vanished from the spot, and the next second she appeared behind Spider Sister. With a light flick of her pink Nichirin Blade, a slender pink blade of light flashed past.

Spider Sister felt a chill on her back, followed by a sharp pain.

She looked down in disbelief at the thin wound on her chest.

She wanted to turn around and fight back, but her body wouldn't obey her commands. Her strength drained away from her wounds like a flood, and her limbs gradually became weak.

"Why...why..."

Spider Sister's voice carried a hint of resentment and confusion. She couldn't understand why her all-out attack couldn't even touch the hem of the other's clothes, while the other simply swung his knife lightly and rendered her powerless to resist.

Shinobu Kocho stood behind her, her face still bearing a gentle smile.

"Because I'm not very strong, I added some poison to my Nichirin Blade."

The moment the words fell, Spider Sister's body began to disintegrate, turning into countless tiny fragments, which eventually turned into ashes and disappeared into the forest.

Butterfly Shinobu looked at the dissipating spider silk and ashes, sighed softly, her tone tinged with a faint sadness.

"What a pity, I was hoping to be friends with you..."

After saying that, she turned around and walked towards the two injured Demon Slayer Corps members, her smile still gentle.

"Are you alright? I'm Shinobu Kocho."

The two Demon Slayer Corps members looked at Shinobu Kocho, who had suddenly appeared, and then at the spider sister who had already disappeared. Their eyes were filled with shock and gratitude, and they struggled to get up and bow.

"It's...it's Lord Insect Pillar!"

Shinobu Kocho waved her hand gently, indicating that they didn't need to be so polite, and said in a gentle tone.

"Rest well first, I will take you away from here."