To his horror, Tanjiro watched his sword snap into two pieces at the slightest touch of the thread. He had meant to tear it and rip it apart, for his sword to drive through the demon's neck, but, instead, it completely shattered.

The thread that broke his sword was then driving purposely towards his head!

His body acting and moving faster than his own mind, as if his instincts had kicked into overdrive, he quickly moved his head away but he wasn't fast enough. Grunts of pain slipped out of his mouth at the painful slice of the thread that had cut deep into the skin of his face. He felt his blood pour out of his new wound as his body toppled to the ground. It rolled and rolled harshly against the rock-hard dirt, Nezuko's box stabbing into his back, but he finally skidded to a halt.

With one hand braced against the ground, the other clutched uselessly at his fractured sword, the one thing that could kill a demon for good. Even though he was out of a weapon, it didn't stop him from standing up and holding it like a dagger!

Tanjiro stood on his feet, the two demons, Rui and his sister, standing many feet away from him, and got into a defensive stance. He was still breathing heavily, clutching the hilt of his broken sword protectively in front of him, as he continued glaring daggers at the demons standing in front of him. They didn't look at Tanjiro like he was a force to be reckoned with, more like he was a nuisance. A little bug that needed to be squashed immediately.

His eyes landed on his broken sword and he internally groaned. He couldn't understand how his sword broke! Was the threads Rui's controlling even tougher than the body of the Father Spider Demon he couldn't cut through?!

Forgive me, Urokodaki and Haganezuka… Due to my inexperience, my sword is now broken.

As much as he wanted to wallow in self-pity at the loss of his sword and not correctly implementing his training with Urokodaki, Tanjiro didn't have time to do so! He was forced to jump to the side when Rui flicked his fingers again, leaving a crater in the shape of a thin line in his wake. He needed to think. To think of a plan!

If he couldn't cut those threads, he needs to get within reach! To meet him head on!

Tanjiro yelled and ran as fast as he could towards the demon. But, when he tried to move in close, the thread attacks were harsher and quicker. The long-range attacks forced him to jump away once again and back to where he had started at the edge of the clearing. It was no good! The threads had a life of their own, and he can't get through their attacks! Even though the demon was holding back his power as to not to kill Tanjiro, he was still overpowering him all the same!

With his hand still outstretched, threads spilling out from his fingertips, Rui gave Tanjiro a once over and spoke, "Now then, do you still refuse to take back what you said earlier?" When Tanjiro didn't answer, only continuing to glare, Rui sighed out, "You refuse… Fine. I'll put in an end to you now," and drew back his hand.

Tanjiro gasped when two giant spider-webs appeared in his vision!

He hadn't noticed the threads that had been leaking out the demon's fingertips had created massive webs when he wasn't looking! The two large webs were flying towards him at such speed he wasn't going to be able to dodge it! Cutting it wasn't going to work at all, especially with his broken sword! What is he going to do?!

Threads met against flesh and blood spilled high into the air.

The red crimson liquid spilled all over the ground and met Tanjiro's vision. He had thought it was his own blood but felt no pain. He thought his death would've met a painful, agonizing ending since he had spouted words against Rui's so-called family. Everything happened too fast for him to even comprehend what had happened in the moment. One second ago, he was watching his demise quickly approach him but then blood filled his vision.

Then, he saw why he didn't feel any pain. A gasp left his mouth, and he even heard one slip from Rui's, when he saw a small figure stand in front of him protectively. It was… It was Nezuko! And she took the full force of the attack for him!

"Nezuko!" He screamed out in anguish seeing large gashes and cuts in her skin.

Tanjiro immediately caught Nezuko in his arms and carried her off into the forest, away from the clearing that had now been stained with her blood. He gently set her body on the ground against a tree and quickly looked her over. Blood spilled from the deep wounds in her arms, stomach, legs, and head, with her eyes closed in pain.

He grabbed her bloody hands, flinching when her arm nearly came off of it, and cried into them, "Nezuko, I am so sorry! You protected me… Thank you!"

Tanjiro could hear the Sister Demon mumble under her breath about Nezuko being a demon and strangely protecting a human, but he didn't care at the moment! All he cared about was getting Nezuko healed and back in her box where she would be safe! He didn't even see, smell, or feel her climb out of the box and push him out of the way of the demon's attack! She moved so fast neither one of them comprehended it!

"Hey, you… That girl… Is she your sibling?" He heard Rui shakily ask under his breath.

"So what if she is?!" Tanjiro growled at him not taking his eyes off of Nezuko.

Because he wasn't focused, because he was inexperienced and all alone, he was the reason why she was losing so much blood and why her body was falling apart.

No matter how much he squeezed them together, her arm and wrist wouldn't stay connected. The wound was so deep it was barely hanging on by a thread of flesh. He could feel her body writhe in pain and hear muffle groans of agony press against the bamboo muffle in her mouth. Her body didn't heal through flesh like other demons, but through sleeping. But he had seen the way she healed so fast back at Lady Tamayo's Clinic. She just needs to heal!

Hurry up and heal! Hurry up and heal! It has to heal!

His hands were shaking so badly, his heart was thumping so erratically in his chest, and his eyes burned at the horrible state Nezuko was in. She was ready to save his life… and he wants to save hers in return!

"Siblings… Siblings… His sister's been turned into a demon. Yet, she stays by his side," Tanjiro began to hear the demon mumble under his breath in astonishment. He tried not to pay too attention to it but he couldn't help but hear, "She risked her own life… to protect her big brother. That… is a genuine bond! And it'll be mine! I want it!"

Before he could react at what he heard, Tanjiro gasped hearing the two demons scream and a tree toppling to the ground. He watched as the tree collided into the dirt, the earth vibrating underneatt them, and sending up billows of dirt and dust into the sky. On the ground near it was the demon girl's shredded body! It was already beginning to mend but Rui was staring down at her severed head on the floor as if she was scum of the earth.

Darkness lined his face, his hands clenched into fists, as his large red eye stared daggers of poison down at her. "None of you ever managed to fulfill the roles you were given," He spat down at her, his voice still leveled, but filled with deep menace. "Never. Not once in your entire life."

The demon girl cried looking up at him. Her eyes wavered with tears as she begged, "Give me another chance. Please let me make it up to you!"

He turned away from her but looked over his shoulder slightly, enough for his eye to land on her. "Very well then. Go kill the humans wandering all over this mountain. If you do that, I'll forgive you for what just happened."

"A-Alright," The demon girl softly cried, grabbing her head, and running away into the forest.

Tanjiro watched the demon girl go and didn't move to stop her. She was more than likely running to kill Inosuke and Kagami, if they were still alive. He doesn't doubt their strength, will, and perseverance but the Father Spider Demon was too tough for either of them to cut. To add in another demon, the who was able to trick Inosuke into walking in a trap, was creating a grave for all three of them to lie in. If Inosuke and Kagami fail to kill both of them, no doubt they will, in turn, come after Tanjiro.

He couldn't think about the demon girl or his friends at the moment. He was in his own life-or-death situation. He was trying to piece Nezuko back together while focusing on Rui who had turned back towards them.

"Boy… Let's talk," Rui then spoke to him. "Just the two of us. Come on out."

His voice sounded… somehow friendly and chirpier, as if what was going on currently made him happy. It unnerved Tanjiro greatly. He knew the demon couldn't see them, he had placed them behind a large bush so he could treat Nezuko's wound privately, but he was still looking at them as if he knew where they were.

A small grin spread on his lips and gently placed a hand against his chest, speaking, "The truth is, what your sister did, I found it genuinely moving to behold. Seeing the bond you two share gave me the chills. I doubt there are any words in this universe to describe exactly how I felt."

What he was speaking was disturbing Tanjiro to his core. To see the demon smiling and speaking about the sibling bond between Tanjiro and Nezuko, and lash out against his sister when he didn't have the same one, was activating his fight-or-flight instincts. With the demon's eye directly on Nezuko, all he could do was hold her close to his chest and wrap his arms protectively around her. He didn't like the look at all, and all he wanted at that moment was to keep her away from the demon.

"However, your fate now is death by my hand. A disagreeable conclusion for you, no doubt," The demon added before lifting a finger to his lips. "So, listen closely. I'll impart to you how you can escape your fate. Your sister… Give her to me. If you hand her over without a fight, I'll at least spare your life."

Tanjiro's arms around Nezuko tightened, a lump rose in the back of his throat, and his body began to tremble.

"Wh-What are you saying?" He gasped out at the demon.

The demon held out his hand, his friendly and soft demeanor transitioned to one of impatience and annoyance, speaking, "As of today, instead of being your little sister, she will be mine."

The confusion and disbelief that had been coursing through Tanjiro immediately vanished. The thought of giving her away, his little sister, the only family he had left, to a demon who tortured anyone who disobeyed him or made him angry caused fury to flow through him. For her to go through such torment just because he was too weak to fight the demon… To leave the mountain without Nezuko, to toss away the box he had always carried her around in, was something he would never want to feel!

He could imagine the hurt and angry eyes of Kagami falling on his. Her voice, loud and hoarse, screaming at the top of her lungs to him, her face red and full of tears, and her hands wrapped in fists if she were to learn the truth. Undeniably, Kagami would venture back into Mount Natagumo and rescue Nezuko if at all possible. Tanjiro wouldn't let her do it alone, he would go along with her!

But he won't give Kagami a chance to rescue his little sister. He would do so right there at that moment! She's not a doll to be tossed around whenever! She has a mind and will of her own! A living being! And no one will be taking that away from her! No one will be taking her away!

"You don't actually think I'd ever agree to that!" Tanjiro growled keeping his arms wrapped around her. "First off, Nezuko's not a thing! She has her own will and feelings! There's no way she'll ever be your sister!"

Even though Tanjiro declared he won't let him take her away, the demon didn't look fazed at all. Instead, he calmly spoke, "That's all right. No need to worry. I'm stronger than you. I will forge a bond stronger than the one she has with you. One made through fear and terror. I'll teach her what happens when she disobeys me."

"I've had enough of you spouting nonsense!" Tanjiro screamed in outrage. "Using terror to shackle someone hand and foot is not the bond of a family! Until you fix that basic understanding, you'll never get what you desire!"

At the words Tanjiro had been spitting, the demon seemed to no longer find them vexing. He only huffed, "So irritating. Would you mind not shouting? We don't see eye to eye, do we?"

The demon, Rui, seemed to have already made up his mind of taking Nezuko and molding her to his liking. To create a sibling made through the infliction of fear, terror, and torture. He no longer looked to be in the mood of negotiating with Tanjiro. His decision and answer were final. And that was fine, Tanjiro was never in the mood to do so to begin with. Since the very beginning, he was already planning on fighting for her freedom. When she couldn't do it herself, he, as her older brother, was going to do it for her.

He dropped her box on the ground and walked out of hiding back into the clearing, determination in every step he took. His hand clutched his broken sword tightly in a white-knuckle grip and he seethed, "I will never hand Nezuko over to you!"

"Very well, then," Rui sighed out inconvenienced. "I'll just kill you and then take her."

"I'll cut your head off first!"

An unsettling chuckle fell from Rui's lips at Tanjiro's remark. A smirk spread across his face as he lifted a hand. "That's the spirit! I would love to see you try," He chuckled as he ran his hand over his face and pushed the rest of his hair out of his face, revealing his other eye. "That is, if you can actually defeat a Twelve Kizuki like me!"

LOWER RANK FIVE

Those were the words marked on the demon's left eye, the eye he had been hiding since the very beginning. When the Mother Spider Demon had spoken of a Twelve Kizuki member, Tanjiro was sure she was talking about the Father. It was so strong and no matter how many times they've tried, neither he, Kagami, or Inosuke could sever its limbs. But… a member of the Twelve Kizuki was right in front of him the entire time. How… How could he have not noticed?

A small horrified gasp fell from his mouth seeing the deranged smile Rui, a member of the Twelve Kizuki, gave him. The demon was openly challenging him and even looked amused.

But… no matter what, Tanjiro cannot give up. No amount of fear or temptation will cause him to give up Nezuko. She is his little sister and he will continue to fight for her like he always had since the very beginning. Nothing, nothing, not even in the face of death, will he see her in the hands of that monster.

He will cut down the member of the Twelve Kizuki if it's the last thing he'll do!