The spider demon seemed to realize that the wounds on its body were different from before. It howled in pain, baring its teeth and continuously scratching at its injuries.
Soon after, Nae and Akino arrived at the clearing, shocked by the sight of Hatsune enveloped in a chilling aura.
This was the first time Nae had seen Hatsune in such a state. Just a glance made her feel a chill throughout her body, as if she had entered the depths of winter.
The spider demon finally realized that the prey before it was not easy to deal with. The cold air was seeping through its wounds, corroding its body. Its already low body temperature was dropping further, making it feel both unbearably cold and severely hindering its movements.
"That girl is injured and unconscious. You two take her back to the base to bandage her up. I'll handle this spider demon."
"Thank you."
Akino cried tears of joy, quickly running to the stone where Yuka lay, softly calling her name.
Yuka opened her hazy eyes, tried to speak, but fainted again. Her clothes were torn, and numerous wounds on her body were bleeding.
"I... I'll stay and help you."
Nae gripped her sword and stood behind Hatsune. Her body temperature was naturally different from ordinary people, so the surrounding cold air didn't affect her much.
"No need, you go protect the other two. Tonight is the last night, and also the last day of demon hunting. They will be even crazier than on the first night."
Crazier than the first night?
Nae finally realized the seriousness of the situation. Hatsune had known tonight would be extremely dangerous but hadn't stopped Yuka and Akino from staying. Why? Was it because of her?
Nae felt a sudden wave of emotion. She glanced at Hatsune, enveloped in white mist, and said with concern, "Be careful." She quickly went to Akino, took Yuka from him, and carried her on her back.
Akino was surprised by how strong this seemingly petite girl was, carrying Yuka as if she weighed nothing.
Especially at the moment Nae lifted Yuka, her arm muscles bulged in a terrifying manner.
At that moment, Akino finally realized that these two were not like them at all. They were truly here to participate in the Demon Slayer Corps exam, while they were merely food for the demons.
The two quickly walked down the slope, while Hatsune faced the spider demon for the second round of their battle.
Suddenly, the spider demon shook its body. To Hatsune's shock, it began to shed its skin.
The spider demon's back split open, revealing a bald head emerging from beneath the skin, followed by its torso, two arms, and six legs. As the skin fell off, the ice on its surface also came off.
The newly shed spider demon looked even more bizarre. It seemed smaller than before, with smooth, tight skin that gleamed a brownish-yellow under the moonlight.
Before, its six legs seemed haphazardly attached to its torso, but now they were perfectly integrated, and its spine was more flexible. It was clearly evolving through shedding, each time making its body more perfect.
Without the ice, its wounds began to heal at a visible rate.
The spider demon screeched and attacked Hatsune again.
This time, it was faster than before, almost instantly closing the distance. Fortunately, the area within a meter around Hatsune was still covered by the chilling air.
A meter was enough for Hatsune to detect the spider demon's movements and react in time.
The spider demon quickly moved its body, circling around Hatsune and leaping at his neck from behind.
The spider demon's strength lay in its speed. Now, it had mastered hunting techniques.
First, it used its incredible speed to close in on its prey, then it pounced to snap its neck, allowing it to finish the fight quickly. Even stronger prey could fall victim to its sudden attacks.
However, it faced Hatsune.
Without turning, Hatsune swung his sword in a horizontal slash. His Nichirin blade, accompanied by ice shards, precisely targeted the demon's throat.
The ice shards clinked softly as they touched.
The spider demon shrieked, leaned back, and used its hands to push the Nichirin blade away. It landed on the ground in a standing position and quickly retreated from the cold, resembling a walking shrimp.
The spider demon looked at its palms, which had two straight white lines emitting cold air.
Yes, only two ice lines without cutting through its palms.
Hatsune's slash hadn't used much force, but he felt as if he had struck a metal plate when his blade met the demon's palms.
After shedding its skin, the spider demon's speed and defense had both increased.
The spider demon changed its attack direction several times but could never get within a meter of Hatsune, growing both frustrated and impatient in the cold.
Before, it had always killed its prey in one move. In the entire mountain, except for the one by the lakeside, it had never failed. Now, it faced a challenge from this outsider.
The spider demon felt its status was being challenged.
It screeched and began to circle Hatsune rapidly, trying to confuse him before launching a decisive attack to snap his neck.
What it didn't know was that Hatsune didn't rely on sight to detect its movements.
Hatsune understood the spider demon's attack intentions well.
Since it was desperate to secure its status, Hatsune decided to give it a chance. He deliberately withdrew his cold aura and feigned giving up.
Sure enough, the low-intelligence creature fell for it. Seeing Hatsune turn his head, leaving his back exposed, it quickly stabilized itself and pounced.
Once in the air, it would be hard to dodge an attack.
"Ice Breathing, Fifth Form: Swift Ice Pierce."
Just as the spider demon thought it had succeeded, a white light pierced through its throat, leaving it no time to react.
Realizing it had been tricked, the spider demon's eyes filled with terror as the blade slowly cut through its throat.
Yes, the Nichirin Sword was slicing through its throat.
The spider demon struggled desperately, letting out a muffled scream. It tried to pull itself off the blade, kicking wildly at Hatsune with its six legs.
Hatsune slowly turned to face the ugly spider demon. With its human face, it had evolved into this grotesque form. Its flexible spine made it look increasingly like a walking shrimp.