A petite figure appeared before Jon, the girl's eyes still holding a trace of tears. However, her expression was no longer as fragile as before, but rather showed a hint of determination, as if she had made up her mind. The wind gently blew through her hair, giving her an ethereal appearance.
"I want... I want to learn how to slay demons from you. I want to become a demon slayer like you!" the girl said resolutely, her voice trembling slightly but filled with conviction.
Jon crouched down and asked her, his eyes filled with curiosity and concern, "What's your name?"
"My name is Makomo!" the girl replied, her voice stronger this time.
'Makomo?'
This name surprised Jon. No wonder he found the girl so familiar, but he couldn't remember who she was. He searched his memory, trying to piece together the fragments of information he had about her.
She died earlier in the original plot, but she left a deep impression.
She was the protagonist Tanjiro's senior and a fellow disciple of the former Water Pillar, Sakonji Urokodaki. However, when she appeared, she had already passed away. She guided Tanjiro's swordsmanship in the form of a spirit. At first, Tanjiro thought she was sent by his mentor Sakonji Urokodaki to guide him, but later he learned that she had died long ago and was guiding him as a ghost.
She was killed by a demon during the final selection for new recruits. There was a demon from the Meiji era that the Demon Slayer Corps had failed to eliminate, leaving a demon that the new recruits couldn't handle. The demon held a grudge against Urokodaki and targeted his disciples, and Makomo was undoubtedly a victim.
"Can you teach me the skills to slay demons?" Makomo looked up at Jon, her eyes filled with hope and determination.
Jon patted her head gently and said, "There's no need for that anymore. In less than a month, all the demons will disappear." His voice was soft, but it carried a sense of certainty that seemed to envelop Makomo in a warm embrace.
Afterward, he stood up and waved to call the messenger crow flying nearby them. The crow, with its jet-black feathers and piercing eyes, landed on Jon's outstretched arm.
"Call the 'Hiding' from your Demon Slayer Corps and take her away from here," Jon instructed the crow, his voice firm and commanding.
"Croaak!" The crow responded, understanding the urgency of the situation.
The crow then left, and Jon lowered his head to Makomo, saying, "Stay here, someone will come to pick you up soon."
The Hidden Division was responsible for dealing with the aftermath of battles between the Demon Slayer Corps and demons, as well as taking care of the victims injured by demons. Jon trusted the Demon Slayer Corps' ability to handle matters, so he left Makomo in their care.
As they waited, Jon and Makomo engaged in a heartfelt conversation. Jon spoke about Ayla, who resembled her. Jon shared stories of his adventures, and show her some magic. Makomo watched him intently, her eyes wide with wonder and admiration.
"I wish I could have been as strong as you," Makomo said after a while, her voice tinged with sadness.
"You have a strength of your own," Jon replied, his voice gentle and reassuring. "Your soul is pure and powerful way more than you think."
Soon, the members of the Hidden Division arrived, their movements swift and silent.
"Are you ready to go, Makomo?" Jon asked.
Makomo nodded, her eyes filled with determination. "Yes, I am ready."
Jon watched as the members of the Hidden Division led Makomo away, her small figure disappearing into the distance. He knew that she would be well taken care of, and that it was time to continue his journey to the mountain.
***
As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the landscape, Jon finally found the location of Natagumo Mountain. The mountain loomed ominously in the distance, its dark silhouette a stark contrast against the fading light of the sky. The air around the mountain was thick with a demonic aura, sending shivers down Jon's spine.
Jon walked along the dirt road, his footsteps steady and determined. The closer he got to the mountain, the more oppressive the atmosphere became. The trees seemed to lean inwards, as if trying to block his path, and the wind carried whispers of malevolent intent.
As Jon slowly walked towards the mountain, he suddenly sensed a faint movement. This was because Jon had enhanced his senses, allowing him to barely detect it. An ordinary person wouldn't have been able to sense it at all.
However, even so, Jon still fell into the trap.
Jon felt a deep pain in his joints, and he gritted his teeth as he looked closely at them. To his surprise, he found nearly invisible threads connected to his joints, piercing his skin and bone.
"Spider silk..." Jon thought to himself, his eyes narrowing in anger and frustration.
In Jon's memory, the demons living in Natagumo Mountain were a family of spider-like demons. All the demons here had spider abilities, and the Spider Mother among them liked to control others through her spider silk. Her silk was incredibly strong, and the Nichirin Swords couldn't cut through it, causing great trouble for the protagonists in the original work.
However, Jon's eyes glowed with fire, and the spider silk connected to him was burned by the hellfire. The threads disintegrated into ash, freeing him from their grasp. He flexed his joints, testing their mobility, and found that the pain had subsided.
***
As the battle between Jon and the Spider-Girl intensified, the forest around them became a chaotic battleground. The Spider-Girl continued to launch her deadly spider silk at Jon, each strand sharper and faster than the last. But Jon remained unfazed, his hellfire shield protecting him from the relentless onslaught.
"Damn it, why won't you just die? It's all because of you…!"
The Spider Girl's frustration grew with each failed attack, her face contorted with rage. She knew that if she couldn't defeat Jon, she would face the wrath of her family, especially her cold and merciless son, Rui.
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